Afton Lodge Care Home

Updated 13 December 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.

Inspection team

This inspection was carried out by 1 inspector.

Service and service type

Afton Lodge Care Home is 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. Afton Lodge Care Home 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 a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. 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 used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with 4 people who used the service, 4 family members and 1 family friend about their experience of the care provided. We observed interactions between staff and people who used the service.

We also spoke with 7 members of staff including the registered manager, compliance manager, deputy manager, care and ancillary workers.

We reviewed a range of records. This included 5 people’s care records and multiple medication records. We looked at 4 staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service were reviewed.

Updated 13 December 2023

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ is the guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements about services supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people and providers must have regard to it.

At the time of the inspection, the location did not care or support for anyone with a learning disability or an autistic person. However, we assessed the care provision under Right Support, Right Care, Right Culture, as it is registered as a specialist service for this population group.

About the service

Afton Lodge Care Home is a residential care home providing personal care to up to 27 people. At the time of our inspection there were 21 people using the service. Some people were living with dementia. Accommodation was provided throughout one adapted building.

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

Right Support:

Some improvements were needed to demonstrate people received their medicines as prescribed. Some refurbishment and redecoration of the home was needed. Plans were in place to address any shortfalls in the standards of the property. Regular checks and servicing of the property and equipment was undertaken to ensure people lived in a safe environment.

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. Risk assessments and care plans had been developed to meet people’s needs.

Staff were recruited safely, and staffing levels were safe. Staff knew people well and trusting relationships had been formed.

People were supported to access healthcare and other specialist services. Staff worked closely with other professionals and organisations to ensure positive outcomes were achieved for people.

Right Care:

People received a caring service and consistently told us they were happy living at Afton Lodge Care Home.

Staff protected and respected people’s privacy and dignity, understanding and responding to their individual needs. People could communicate with staff because staff supported them consistently and understood their individual communication needs.

People had opportunities to participate in activities they were interested in. Family members and friends confirmed they could visit at any time.

Right Culture:

The service was well-led and staff felt supported by the registered manager and wider management team.

The provider had governance systems in place which identified and managed risks through audits and action plans.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was good (published 17 November 2017).

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

We undertook a focused inspection to review the key questions of safe and well-led only. For those key question not inspected, we used the ratings awarded at the last inspection to calculate the overall rating.

Recommendations

We have made a recommendation about medicines training.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.