We carried out a review of the data available to us about Sycamore 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 Sycamore Lodge, you can give feedback on this service.
Sycamore Lodge is a care home with nursing for up to 77 older people. The home is divided into five units. At the time of our inspection 62 people were living at the home. Some people were being cared for at the end of their lives and some people were living with the experience of dementia. The home is operated by Minster Care Group who provide care and support in care homes throughout the United Kingdom.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People were supported to take their medicines safely but we saw some practice issues needed improvement. We also found some safe environment issues. The registered manager responded to these promptly and we were assured that they had maintained people’s safety.
There were enough staff to keep people safe. Staff had training on how to recognise and report safeguarding concerns and they knew how to do so. The registered manager worked with other agencies to investigate concerns. The home was clean and there were procedures in place for preventing and controlling the spread of infection.
People's care plans set out personalised information about their care preferences and the support they needed, including their communication needs. People were supported at the end of their life to have a comfortable and dignified death.
The provider had appropriate procedures in place for responding to and learning from incidents and complaints. There were systems in place to monitor the quality of the service. The provider took action in response to audits and checks to improve and develop the service. The staff worked with other services to provide people with joined up care.
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 and update
The last rating for this service was requires improvement (published 17 December 2021). 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
We carried out an unannounced comprehensive inspection of this service on 23 November 2021. Breaches of legal requirements were found. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve safe care and treatment and good governance.
We undertook this focused inspection to check they had followed their action plan and to confirm they now met legal requirements. This report only covers our findings in relation to the Key Questions Safe, Responsive and Well-led which contain those requirements. For those key questions not inspected, we used the ratings awarded at the last inspection to calculate the overall rating. The overall rating for the service has changed from requires improvement to good. This is based on the findings at this inspection.
You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Sycamore Lodge on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.
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, which will help inform when we next inspect.
Sycamore Lodge is a care home with nursing for up to 77 older people. The home is divided into five units. At the time of our inspection 62 people were living at the home. Some people were being cared for at the end of their lives and some people were living with the experience of dementia.
Minster Care Group provides care and support in care homes throughout the United Kingdom.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
Medicines were not always safely managed. Some risks to people's safety and wellbeing had not been assessed or mitigated. Some people's care plans were not detailed enough with personalised information about their needs and preferences.
The provider had systems for monitoring and improving the quality of the service. These had not always been operated effectively because the provider had not always identified areas of risk or where records needed improving. However, they contacted us after our inspection visit to tell us about improvements they made as a result of our findings.
People were happy with the care they received. They liked the staff and felt their needs were met. They felt involved in planning their own care. They had opportunities to take part in a range of social activities, although some people wanted more variety in activities. People generally liked the food, told us they had access to healthcare professionals and were able to see visitors when they wanted.
The staff were well supported and had the training and information they needed to care for people. There were enough staff to meet people's needs and the recruitment processes made sure staff were suitable.
There were procedures to help protect people from abuse, to investigate complaints and to help make sure improvements were made when things went wrong.
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.
The registered manager was supported by a team of senior staff. People using the service and others knew who to speak with if they had any concerns. The provider had audits and checks which included asking stakeholders for their feedback. Where concerns were identified, the provider made plans to improve 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
This was the first inspection of the service since it was registered with the current provider on 10 March 2020.
The rating at the last inspection when the service was registered with a different provider was good (Published 15 August 2018).
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the date of registration.
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.
Enforcement
We are mindful of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our regulatory function. This meant we took account of the exceptional circumstances arising as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic when considering what enforcement action was necessary and proportionate to keep people safe as a result of this inspection. We will continue to discharge our regulatory enforcement functions required to keep people safe and to hold providers to account where it is necessary for us to do so.
We have identified breaches in relation to safe care and treatment and good governance at this inspection.
Please see the action we have told the provider to take at the end of this report.
Follow up
We will request an action plan for the provider to understand what they will do to improve the standards of quality and safety. We will work alongside the provider and local authority to monitor progress. We will return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.