Loveys Lodge

Loveys Lodge is a residential care home providing personal care to up to four younger people who live with a learning disability or autistic spectrum disorder. The service was supporting four people at the time of our visit.

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

Action had been taken to comply with government guidelines in relation to COVID-19; staff used personal protective equipment, such as masks, gloves and aprons. Checks to reduce the transmission of infection from staff and visitors had been introduced. This action had been taken following an infection prevention and control thematic inspection by the Care Quality Commission.

Actions to reduce risks in the event of a fire had not been fully explored and this put people at increased risk.

Systems to monitor how well the service was running were not carried out well enough to assess the quality provided. Changes were made where issues had been identified, but this was in isolation and lessons were not identified for other systems in the service. Relatives and staff were asked their view of the service, but no critical analysis resulted from this.

People and relatives were happy with the service and the staff that provided their care.

Relatives felt their family members were safe living at the service and staff knew how to report possible harm.

The provider obtained key recruitment checks before new staff started work. There were not always enough staff to cover all contingencies. We have made a recommendation about how to decide staffing levels.

People received their medicines and staff knew how these should be given. Medicine records were completed accurately and with enough detail.

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 (report published 06/07/2018).

Why we inspected

The inspection was prompted in part due to concerns identified during an Infection Prevention and Control thematic review of the service. A decision was made for us to inspect and examine those risks and we undertook a focused inspection to review the key questions of safe and well-led.

The overall rating for the service has changed from good to requires improvement. This is based on the findings at this inspection.

We have found evidence that the provider needs to make improvements. Please see the safe and well-led sections of this full report.

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

Enforcement

We have identified breaches in relation to monitoring and assessing the quality of the service at this inspection. Please see the action we have told the provider to take at the end of this report.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.

We found the following examples of good practice.

Staff carried out cleaning throughout the day and completed more cleaning at night to make sure the home was hygienic.

Whole home testing of staff and people living at the service had been carried out for the last few months, with everyone taking part.

This service is a residential care home. lovey's Lodge is registered to provide accommodation for people who require nursing or personal care. it is registered to accommodate four people. People who live at Lovey's Lodge have a learning disability or autistic spectrum disorder or physical disability. At the time of the inspection four people were living at the service.

The care service has been developed and designed in line with the values that underpin the Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These values include choice, promotion of independence and inclusion. People with learning disabilities and autism using the service can live as ordinary a life as any citizen.” Registering the Right Support CQC policy

There was a registered manager in post. 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.

People using the service felt safe. Staff had received training to enable them to recognise signs and symptoms of abuse and they felt confident in how to report these types of concerns.

People had risk assessments in place to enable them to be as independent as they could be in a safe manner. Staff knew how to manage risks to promote people’s safety, and balanced these against people’s rights to take risks and remain independent.

There were sufficient staff with the correct skill mix on duty to support people with their needs. Effective recruitment processes were in place and followed by the service. Staff were not offered employment until satisfactory checks had been completed.

Medicines were managed safely. The processes in place ensured that the administration and handling of medicines was suitable for the people who used the service. Effective infection control measures were in place to protect people.

People were supported to make decisions about all aspects of their life; this was underpinned by the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards. Staff were knowledgeable of this guidance and correct processes were in place to protect people. Staff gained consent before supporting people.

Staff received an induction process and on-going training. They had attended a variety of training to ensure that they were able to provide care based on current practice when supporting people. They were also supported with regular supervisions.

People were able to make choices about the food and drink they had, and staff gave support when required to enable people to access a balanced diet. There was access to drinks and snacks throughout the day.

People were supported to access a variety of health professionals when required, including community nurses and doctors to make sure that people received additional healthcare to meet their needs.

Staff provided care and support in a caring and meaningful way. They knew the people who used the service well. People and relatives, where appropriate, were involved in the planning of their care and support.

People’s privacy and dignity was maintained at all times. Care plans were written in a person-centred way and were responsive to people’s needs. People were supported to follow their interests and join in activities.

People knew how to complain. There was a complaints procedure in place and accessible to all. Complaints had been responded to appropriately.

Quality monitoring systems were in place. A variety of audits were carried out and used to drive improvement.

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

Further information is in the detailed findings below