We carried out a review of the data available to us about Leatherland Lodge on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about Leatherland Lodge, you can give feedback on this service.
Leatherland Lodge is a residential care home providing personal care for up to 48 older people, some of whom may be living with dementia. At the time of our inspection, 41 people were living at the service.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People’s care and treatment was planned and delivered in a way that was intended to ensure their safety and welfare. Staff had been recruited safely and there were enough numbers of staff. Medication was dispensed by staff who had received training to do so. There were systems in place to minimise the risk of infection and to learn lessons from accidents and incidents.
Staff received training and supervision to enable them to fulfil their roles and responsibilities. People were supported to maintain good health and access health care professionals. People were supported with their nutritional needs.
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 were supported by staff who were kind and caring and treated people with dignity and respect. People were supported to maintain links with their friends and families. People’s independence was promoted and, where possible, they were encouraged to do as much as they could for themselves.
Care plans were person centred and included information on people's preferences on how they wished to receive their care and support. People had access to a range of activities. There was an effective complaints system in place.
The registered manager operated an open and inclusive culture. Feedback was sought to drive improvements to the service and people, relatives and staff had the opportunity to be involved in the day to day running of the service. Staff felt supported and valued and enjoyed working at Leatherland Lodge.
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 20 April 2017).
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
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.
The service had a registered manager in post and they had worked at the service for a number of years. 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.
At the last inspection the service was rated as Good. At this inspection the service remained Good.
The service was safe. Staff showed a good knowledge of safeguarding procedures and were clear about the actions they would take to protect people. People were kept safe and risk assessments had been completed to show how people were supported with every day risks. Recruitment checks had been carried out before staff started work to ensure that they were suitable to work in a care setting. There were sufficient numbers of staff on duty. People’s medication was well managed and people received their medication as prescribed.
The service was effective. Staff had been offered training to help ensure they had the skills and knowledge required for their role as a care worker. They also received regular support and felt well supported by management.
People were supported to be able to eat and drink sufficient amounts to meet their needs and were provided with choice at each mealtime. We saw that appropriate assessments had been carried out where people living at the service were not able to make decisions for themselves; to help ensure their rights were protected. People were supported to maintain good healthcare and had access to a range of healthcare providers such as their GP, dentists, chiropodists and opticians. The service kept clear records about all healthcare visits.
The service was caring. People had agreed to their care and had been asked how they would like this to be provided. They were treated with dignity and respect and staff provided care in a kind, caring and sensitive manner. Meetings had been held for the people living at the service, relatives and for the staff. People felt listened to and that their views and opinions had been sought and the service had made appropriate improvements.
The service was responsive. Detailed assessments had been carried out and care plans were developed around people’s needs and preferences. The service had a detailed complaints procedure in place which was clearly displayed. This provided information on the process and the timespan for response.
The service was well-led. Staff, relatives, healthcare professionals and those living at the service spoke positively about the registered manager and felt the service was well managed. There were systems in place to regularly assess the quality of the service and that people were kept safe.
The inspection took place on the 23 and 25 March 2015.
Leatherland Lodge is one of a number of services owned by Runwood Homes Limited. The service provides care and accommodation for up to 46 people who need assistance with personal care and may have care needs associated with living with dementia.
The service had a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manager 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.
Staff showed a good knowledge of safeguarding procedures and were clear about the actions they would take to protect people. People were kept safe and risk assessments had been completed to help staff to support people with everyday risks. People’s medication was well managed and the service had systems in place to help ensure people received their medication as prescribed.
Recruitment checks had been carried out before staff started work to ensure that they were suitable to work in a care setting. There were sufficient numbers of skilled, well trained and qualified staff on duty. Staff told us that they felt well supported to carry out their work and had received regular supervision and training.
People were provided and supported to eat and drink sufficient amounts to meet their nutritional needs. They were able to choose alternatives if they were not happy or did not like the choices offered on the menus.
People were supported to maintain good healthcare. They had access to a range of healthcare providers, such as their GP, dentists, chiropodists and opticians. The service kept clear records about all healthcare visits.
People had agreed to their care and that they had been asked how they would like this to be provided. They were treated with dignity and respect and staff provided care in a kind, caring and sensitive manner. Detailed assessments had been carried out and care plans were developed around the individual’s needs and preferences.
The Care Quality Commission monitors the operation of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) and are required to report on what we find. The MCA sets out what must be done to make sure the human rights of people who may lack mental capacity to make decisions are protected. The DoLS are a code of practice to supplement the main MCA code of practice. The registered manager had a good understanding of MCA and DoLS and appropriate documentation had been completed. Mental capacity assessments had been carried out where people were not able to make decisions for themselves. People had agreed to their care.
People knew who to raise complaints or concerns to. The service had a clear complaints procedure in place which was clearly displayed. This provided information on the process and the timespan for response. We saw that complaints had been recorded and any lessons learned from them had been actioned.
The service had an effective quality assurance system. Meetings had been held for the people living at the service and for the staff. People felt listened to and that their views and opinions had been sought and the service had made appropriate improvements.
Those people who were unable to communicate were observed during the day and their body language and facial expressions were noted. They appeared relaxed with the care staff and no concerns were seen or raised. The care staff were observed speaking with people with dignity and respect and involving them in their care. People appeared relaxed and care staff were seen to be helping them to make choices on how they wanted their care provided.
Staff had received regular training, but the manager was in the process of ensuring that any care staff who required refresher courses on moving and handling received this.
Staff had been receiving some supervision, but this did not meet the provider's set procedure and the manager was in the process of ensuring that all staff had been seen the required number of times. Staff spoken with stated that they received sufficient support at the home and they found management approachable.
People told us they knew how to raise any concerns and they found the manager to be approachable. One comment from a thank you card the home had received stated, 'You should all feel very proud of the service that you provide and we would recommend your home to anyone' and 'I have enjoyed my stay here and would like to come back again.'
The inspection team was led by a CQC inspector joined by a practising professional.
People told us that they were well cared for and respected by staff at Leatherland Lodge. People said that staff treated them well, with respect and kindness. We were told that people were involve in making decisions about how they were cared for and that their views and comments were taken into consideration in how they were cared for and supported.
People told us that they had a good choice of meals from the menu. People said that there were always alternative meals available and that they were supported and assisted at mealtimes according to their needs.
People told us that staff were kind and that they felt safe living at Leatherland Lodge.