Sovereign Lodge Care Centre

Updated 10 March 2022

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

As part of CQC’s response to care homes with outbreaks of COVID-19, we are conducting reviews to ensure that the Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) practice is safe and that services are compliant with IPC measures. This was a targeted inspection looking at the IPC practices the provider has in place. We also asked the provider about any staffing pressures the service was experiencing and whether this was having an impact on the service.

This inspection took place on 14 February 2022 and was announced. We gave the service two hours’ notice of the inspection.

Updated 10 March 2022

About the service

Sovereign Lodge Care Centre provides accommodation, nursing and personal care for up to 64 older people. Some people lived at the home whilst others were there for short stays, following discharge from hospital for re-assessment and respite. There were 61 people using the service at the time of inspection.

The service is purpose built and provides accommodation and facilities over three floors. The ground floor provides care for people whose main nursing needs are related to physical health needs. The middle floor provides nursing care for people who are living with a dementia or a mental health need. The top floor is smaller and tends to support people who are more independent but still need a level of personal or nursing care.

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

People and their relatives were positive about the care and support provided at the home. They told us they felt people were safe and comfortable. Staff assessed and responded to any risks and took measures to reduce these and to keep people as safe as possible. Staff understood how to safeguard people against any abuse or discrimination. There were enough staff working to meet people's assessed care and support needs and medicines were managed safely. Checks of the building and equipment were completed regularly by the maintenance person and ensured the environment remained safe.

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.

People at Sovereign Lodge Care Centre received individualised personalised care that responded to their nursing and support needs. People told us all their care needs were met by staff who were skilled and had a good understanding of their needs and how they should be met. People had access to health professionals to promote their health and social well-being.

Staff training was well established and included specialised training to meet people’s specific care needs. For example, dementia care training was provided to all staff whilst the registered nurses completed clinical training which reflected the needs of people in the service. People's dietary needs were assessed, and food provided was tailored to their individual need and they enjoyed it People were supported to eat a range of healthy, freshly cooked meals, drinks and snacks each day.

Staff treated people with respect and kindness and were passionate about providing a quality service that was person centred. It was evident that staff knew people well and strong supportive relationships had been built with people and their families. People's independence, privacy and dignity were promoted.

There was a clear complaints policy and complaints were resolved in a timely way with people satisfied with outcomes. People had choice and control over the activities they wanted to participate in each day. These were an important part of the care and tailored to people's likes and abilities.

The registered manager knew people and staff well and she was held in high regard by both. She had established a full staffing and management team that were working hard to support a quality service. They understood their responsibilities and monitored the standard of care and support provided. She was passionate and committed to delivering a high standard of care to each individual person in the service.

Rating at last inspection and update

The last rating for this service was requires improvement (published 29 November 2018) and there was a breach of regulation. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when. At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations.

Why we inspected:

This inspection took place as part of our planned programme of inspections.

Follow up:

We will continue to monitor intelligence we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our reinspection programme. If any concerning information is received, we may inspect sooner.

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