Sundial Lodge Care Home

Updated 5 July 2023

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

As part of this inspection we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place. This was conducted so we can understand the preparedness of the service in preventing or managing an infection outbreak, and to identify good practice we can share with other services.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by 1 inspector and 2 Experts by Experience. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Sundial Lodge is registered as a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and/or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. Sundial Lodge is a care home without nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was not a registered manager in post, as the registered manager had recently left. The provider was currently advertising and interviewing to fill the post.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

Inspection activity started on 4 May 2023 and ended on 18 May 2023 We visited the location’s service on 4 May 2023, 5 May 2023, and 11 May 2023.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We contacted Healthwatch to see if they had any information about the service. Healthwatch is an independent consumer champion that gathers and represents the views of the public about health and social care services in England. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with 4 relatives, 14 people who used the service, 7 staff and the provider. We reviewed 7 peoples’ care records, risk assessments and medicine records. We looked at 2 staff files about recruitment and a variety of records relating to the governance of the service, for example, some policies, and health and safety checks.

Updated 5 July 2023

About the service

Sundial Lodge is a care home registered to provide accommodation and personal care to up 48 people. The service provides support to older people. People live in their own flats which have a bedroom, lounge, kitchen and bathroom. However, meals are available from the home’s kitchen if people don’t wish to make their own food. At the time of our inspection there were 36 people using the service.

The home is spread over several floors and some outside mews type cottages. Outside there is a large patio and a large lawn for people to enjoy.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

The provider had taken steps to ensure people’s safety within the service. People told us they felt safe at the service, “I couldn’t feel safer, it’s all so good” and “Yes I definitely feel safe, staff come and check on me regularly.” There were systems and process in place to safeguard people from abuse.

People’s needs were assessed before they moved in, and risk assessments and care plans written once the person moved in.

Health and safety checks were in place, for example about fire safety.

We were assured about how the provider was preventing and controlling infection in the home.

Medicines were managed safely and administered by staff who had been trained to do so safely

There were enough staff employed to meet peoples’ needs and staff were recruited safely. People we spoke to praised staff, telling us, “The staff are kind, always respectful and polite” and “They are exceptionally good and kind, people are never neglected or left.” Some people told us staff worked very hard, and they wished staff had more time to sit and talk with them.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

The provider had not maintained good governance oversight to ensure audits were kept up to date by the registered manager. The registered manager had recently left and the provider had begun to set up new systems to improve governance oversight, but there had not yet been time for them to become embedded.

People told us they were asked for their views of the service, both in annual questionnaires and at resident meetings. Relatives were happy with the communication they had with the home. People and relatives told us how pleased they were with the service they received.

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was good (11 October 2017).

Why we inspected

We received concerns in relation to the management of risks associated with people having falls. As a result, we undertook a focused inspection to review the key questions of safe and well-led only.

We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the Safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.

We found no evidence during this inspection that people were at risk of harm from this concern. Please see the safe and well-led sections of this report.

The provider had reviewed their practice, improved governance systems, changed their criteria for admission, and recognised the need to support people to move elsewhere if the service assessed they could no longer meet people’s increased needs.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Sundial Lodge on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.