Spinney Lodge

Updated 24 July 2021

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 Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

This inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Service and service type

Spinney Lodge is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided. There was a new manager in place, who was going through the registration process.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was announced. We gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because the service is small and people are often out and we wanted to be sure there would be people at home to speak with us.

What we did before inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service. 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. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with one person who used the service about their experience of the care provided. We also spoke with one relative of a person using the service, two members of care staff, and the registered manager.

We reviewed a range of records. This included two people’s care records, medication records, staff recruitment information, and audits.

Updated 24 July 2021

About the service

Spinney Lodge is a residential care home, providing personal or nursing care to up to four people. At the time of inspection, four people were living at the service.

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

People were safely cared for. Staff understood safeguarding procedures and were confident in reporting any concerns. Risks were assessed and understood by staff.

Medicines were managed effectively. Medicines were administered by trained staff and were stored safely

Staffing levels were sufficient. There were enough trained staff within the service to ensure people’s planned care needs were met. Staff recruitment procedures ensured that appropriate pre-employment checks were carried out.

The service was clean, tidy, and staff followed infection control procedures.

People’s needs were fully assessed and understood by staff. Care plans reflected people’s individual needs.

People’s food and drink preferences were detailed in care plans. Meal plans detailed a variety of choices for people to eat and drink. Any dietary requirements were documented and observed by staff.

People had access to any healthcare appointments they needed, staff supported people in this area as required.

Staff treated people with respect and dignity, and feedback we received from people and relatives was positive about the care they received. A complaints system was in place and people knew how to use it. We observed positive interactions between people and staff.

There was a registered manager in place and staff felt supported by them. Audits and checks were in place that identified errors, and actioned improvements.

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee autistic people and people with a learning disability the choices, dignity, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. Right Support, right care, right culture is the statutory guidance which supports CQC to make assessments and judgements about services providing support to people with a learning disability and/or autistic people.

The service was able to demonstrate how they were meeting the underpinning principles of Right support, right care, right culture. People’s independence was promoted, care was person centred and staff understood people’s 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.

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

Rating at last inspection

This service was registered with us on 09/04/2019 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

The inspection was prompted in part due to concerns received about staffing. A decision was made for us to inspect and examine those risks.

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.

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.