We carried out a review of the data available to us about Abbottswood Lodge Residential Care Home 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 Abbottswood Lodge Residential Care Home, you can give feedback on this service.
Abbottswood Lodge Residential Care Home is a residential care home providing accommodation and personal care for up to 13 people. The service provides support to people over the age of 65 who may or may not be living with dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 11 people using the service.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People and their relatives told us they felt safe with the care provided by the service. Staff knew how to protect people from harm and recognise and report abuse. Risks to people had been assessed and recorded. The service was clean and infection control guidelines were being followed. There were enough staff who were recruited safely. People received their medicines safely.
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 with their health needs and to eat and drink well. Staff were well trained and received regular updates.
People were supported to take part in activities and to maintain relationships and social interactions with others. Staff worked hard to ensure people felt included and supported. There was a complaints system in place for people if they needed to raise concerns.
People were complimentary about the registered manager and felt they were friendly, knowledgeable and approachable. The registered manager had worked hard to improve the service since the last inspection and had good systems in place to monitor the quality of the service.
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 requires improvement (published 25 May 2019) and there were breaches of regulation. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve. At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations.
Why we inspected
This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.
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. This included checking the provider was meeting COVID-19 vaccination requirements.
You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Abbottswood Lodge Residential Care Home on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.
People’s experience of using this service:
Since its acquisition the provider had overseen changes in management and had started to implement new systems and processes to improve the standards of the service. However, the provider had not, within their improvement plan, prioritised improvements in line with highest risk such as fire safety and significant work remained outstanding in this area. This was a breach of Regulation 12 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014.
Not everyone had a robust plan of care for staff to follow to meet their needs appropriately and consistently. The service had not applied the principles of the MCA as people's ability to make a specific decision had not been assessed and best interest assessments completed.
The new manager was creating a positive and inclusive culture at the home, with a supportive approach developing strong and productive relationships with the staff team. The manager was honest and open about work which still needed doing and understood new systems and processes still had to be embedded and sustained. Together, with the providers new quality manager, they had formed good working relationships with external organisations to ensure they deliver care that meets national standards and best practice.
Management and staff had developed positive and trusting relationships with people that helped to keep them safe. They had a full awareness and understanding of abuse and their responsibilities to protect people. Safe recruitment practices were carried out. There were sufficient numbers of staff with the right skills and competency to meet the current needs of people using the service.
People benefitted from the support of the service and were treated with kindness and respect. Staff had developed positive relationships with the people they supported. They understood people’s needs, preferences, and what was important to them. The atmosphere and appearance of the home was comfortable, homely and clean but additional environmental adaptations could be made to better support people living with dementia.
People’s wellbeing was promoted, and staff provided a range of group activities which encouraged engagement and stimulation. The staff worked well with external health care professionals and people were supported with their needs and accessed health services when required. People received their medicines in a safe and supportive way.
Rating at last inspection: This service has been acquired by a new provider. Although the rating of Requires Improvement at the last inspection was not awarded to this provider, they would have had full knowledge of the history and are responsible for improving the service, including addressing any issues from the last inspection.
Why we inspected: This was a scheduled inspection.
Follow up: We will continue to monitor intelligence we receive about the service until we return to visit as outlined in our inspection programme and schedule. 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