Longridge Hall and Lodge

Updated 28 April 2023

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.

As part of this inspection we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place. This was conducted so we can understand the preparedness of the service in preventing or managing an infection outbreak and to identify good practice we can share with other services.

Inspection team

On the first day of the inspection an inspector and an Expert by Experience visited the home. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service. The inspector returned alone on the second day and provided feedback in a video call on the third day.

Service and service type

Longridge Hall and Lodge is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and/or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

Inspection activity started on 4 April 2023 and ended on 6 April 2023.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority, commissioners and professionals who work with the service. We also looked at information we had received and held on our system about the service, this included notifications sent to us by the provider and information passed to us by members of the public. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

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.

During the inspection

We spoke with 9 people who used the service. We spoke with 5 relatives about their experience. We spoke with members of staff including the registered manager, deputy manager, an area manager (provider representative) and care workers and a member of the domestic staff. We also spoke with 4 external health and social care professionals and received their feedback of the quality of the service. We looked at a variety of records to gather information and assess the level of care and support provided to people. We reviewed in detail 4 care records. We looked at staff rotas, risk assessments, multiple medicine records and 5 recruitment files. We also considered a variety of records relating to the management and governance of the service, including policies and procedures.

We looked around the home in both communal and private areas to establish if it met the needs of people who lived there and if it was safe.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the registered manager to validate evidence found.

Updated 28 April 2023

About the service

Longridge Hall and Lodge is a residential care home registered to accommodate up 60 people in need of personal care. Accommodation is provided over two floors. All rooms have en-suite facilities. On the days of the inspection there were 55 people living at the home.

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

Recruitment processes needed reviewing as some pre-employment checks were missing. We have made a recommendation about this in the 'Safe' section of this report. The provider acted during and immediately after the inspection to address any risks we found in this area.

Staff understood how to protect people from abuse and there were enough staff to meet people's needs and to ensure their safety. The provider's safeguarding processes were robust. Staff told us they had received training and support relevant to their roles and when they started employment. People told us they felt safe and were happy with the service they received. People received safe care from kind and caring staff. People were protected from the risk of harm and staff supported them to maintain their safety and wellbeing. People received their medicines as prescribed from staff who had been trained in medicines and had their competencies checked by managers.

People received high-quality person-centred care because the provider and managers had maintained effective oversight of the quality of care practice and records. Staff were committed to providing high-quality care and felt they were supported in their role by the registered manager and provider. 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.

Quality assurance systems, audits and checks were robust and embedded within the service. The home, the environment and the equipment in use was clean and tidy. We did not find any shortfalls around care planning and record keeping. This assisted in ensuring people received proper and safe care. Staff felt valued and enjoyed working at the home. They also said the new provider had provided a good degree of stability and improvements to the home. They praised the support the registered manager provided.

People were supported to live healthy lives and had access to health and social care professionals. The home worked well with other organisations to provide effective and consistent care and healthcare professionals particularly praised the service in this area. People also had a good choice of meals. Drinks were available at any time of day and night. There was an activities programme on both floors of the home with dedicated activity coordinators. People said they particularly enjoyed the range of activities. People's views and opinions of the service were sought and acted on. People's rights were protected and their equality and diversity needs were respected.

People were confident in the management team at the home and praised how approachable they were. Relatives were similarly pleased with the way the home was managed. They felt confident their relations were safe and praised the friendly and caring attitudes of staff and managers. We noted good interactions between people, management and staff. The service made appropriate notifications to CQC and other authorities of safety incidents to ensure these incidents received appropriate oversight. Infection prevention control measures were robust.

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 the service under the previous provider was requires improvement, published on 27 February 2019.

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.

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

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.