Godiva Lodge

Updated 11 September 2018

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection checked whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

This comprehensive inspection took place on 16 August 2018 and was unannounced. The inspection was undertaken by one inspector, an assistant inspector, a specialist advisor and an expert by experience. The specialist advisor was a registered nurse who was experienced in dementia care. The expert by experience was a person who had personal experience of caring for someone who had similar care needs.

We reviewed the information we held about the service. We looked at information received from the local authority commissioners and the statutory notifications the registered manager had sent us. A statutory notification is information about important events which the provider is required to send to us by law. Commissioners are people who work to find appropriate care and support services which are paid for by the local authority. The commissioner had recently visited the home and had no concerns about the service.

Before the inspection visit, the provider completed a Provider Information Collection (PIC). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. The PIC was detailed and we were able to review the information in the PIC during our inspection visit. We found the information provided was an accurate assessment of how the service operated.

During our inspection we spoke with the registered manager, the district manager and three team leaders about their management of the home. We spoke with eight care staff, and the chef manager about their role at Godiva Lodge. We also spoke with the administration assistant and the maintenance man.

People at Godiva Lodge were living with dementia and some people were unable to tell us in detail about their experience of living at the home. However, several people could tell us what it was like living at Godiva Lodge. During the inspection we spoke with seven people who lived at the home and seven relatives/visitors. We observed care and support being delivered in communal areas and we observed how people were supported to eat and drink at lunch time.

We reviewed four people’s care plans, daily records and medication records to see how their care and treatment was planned and delivered. We looked at three staff recruitment files, staff training records, and records of complaints. We reviewed checks the registered manager and provider made to assure themselves people received a safe, effective quality service.

Updated 11 September 2018

We inspected this service on 16 August 2018. The inspection was unannounced.

People in care homes receive accommodation and personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Godiva Lodge provides accommodation and personal care for up to 40 older people living with dementia. There were 37 people living at the home at the time of our visit.

The accommodation is set out over the ground floor which is divided into four areas, called households, where people live. Each area has 10 bedrooms, assisted bathrooms, toilets, a communal lounge/dining room and a kitchenette where snacks and drinks can be prepared, and meals from the kitchen are served.

At our previous inspection in July 2017, we rated the service as Requires Improvement. This was because the service was not as consistently safe or as responsive to people’s needs as it should have been, and the service was not consistently well led. For example, risks to people’s care were not always managed safely, particularly regarding people’s skin care. People did not always receive personalised care, and at times staff did not respond to people’s needs in a timely way. How quality monitoring systems were implemented did not ensure the home was consistently well led.

Following our feedback at the last inspection, the district manager made an unannounced visit to the home the following day. They took action to ensure people received the care and support they required. They provided an action plan that addressed the shortfalls and advised they would support the home to improve. At this inspection we found the required improvements had been made.

The registered manager, at the time of our last inspection, resigned in October 2017. The home was managed and supported by the deputy manager, the regional support manager and the district manager until another manager was appointed.

The home had a registered manager who registered with us in July 2018. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are 'registered persons'. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

The home provided safe care for people who lived at Godiva Lodge. Staff understood what might constitute abuse and the action to take if they had any concerns. There were enough staff available to meet people’s needs and staff were deployed effectively within the home. Staff understood risks related with people’s care and knew how to manage risks to minimise harm. The suitability of staff was checked during recruitment procedures to make sure they were safe to work at the home. People’s medicines were managed, stored and administered safely.

People had an assessment completed before moving to the home to make sure staff could meet their care and support needs. Staff received training and had the knowledge and skills they needed to meet people’s needs effectively. The registered manager and care staff understood the principles of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) and how to put these into practice. Capacity assessments were completed and where required Deprivation of Liberties authorisations to keep people safe were in place. People’s nutritional and healthcare needs were assessed and kept under review. People had sufficient to eat and drink during the day.

People at Godiva Lodge were living with dementia, during our inspection visit we saw they looked contented and settled. People said staff were helpful and understanding, and we saw friendly and caring interactions between staff and the people they cared for. Staff maintained people’s privacy, and treated people with dignity and respect. The managers and staff had a good understanding of people’s individual needs and preferences. People had personalised care plans for staff to follow and staff were kept up to date about any changes in people’s care.

The atmosphere in the home was friendly and homely, and care and support was provided in a person-centred way. There were things for people to do during the day to keep them occupied and visitors were welcome at the home. People and relatives knew how to complain if they needed to and complaints received had been responded to in a timely manner.

Staff felt supported by the registered manager and the management team, and were happy working at the home. All the staff we spoke with told us there had been improvements to the service people received and to the environment since the new registered manager started.

The registered manager had good knowledge and experience of providing person centred dementia care. They were passionate about making improvements to the home to ensure people living at Godiva Lodge had good experiences, which improved their quality of life.

The provider and management team checked the quality of the service people received and implemented improvements.