Elm Lodge

Updated 30 April 2022

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

One Inspector carried out the inspection.

Service and service type

Elm 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. Elm Lodge is a care home without nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection

Registered Manager

This service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

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

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. 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 (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually 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 this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We communicated with two people who used the service about their experience of the care provided. We communicated with two people who used the service about their experience of care provided. We spoke to people or used Makaton, British Sign Language, picture, photos, symbols, objects and their body language. We spoke with six members of staff including the registered manager and the head of quality and compliance. We reviewed a range of records. This included three people’s care records and multiple medication records. We looked at two staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at training data and quality assurance records. We corresponded with one professional who has regular contact with the service. We spoke with three relatives about the care their loved ones received.

Updated 30 April 2022

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ is the guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements about services supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people and providers must have regard to it.

About the service

Elm Lodge is a care home for people with learning disabilities or autistic spectrum disorder, providing personal care for three people at the time of the inspection. The service can support up to three people. Everyone had their own bedroom, bathroom and lounge area. Two people shared a large kitchen and one person had their own kitchen area. Everyone could share the use of a dining room and garden.

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

Right Support; Staff supported people to have the maximum possible choice, control and independence over their lives. People were supported by staff to pursue their interests in the local community. The service provided people with care and support in a safe, clean, well equipped, and well-furnished environment which met their physical and sensory needs. Staff enabled people to access specialist health and social care and support in the community. Staff supported people with their medicines safely to achieve the best possible health outcomes.

Right Care: People received kind and compassionate care. Staff protected and respected people’s privacy and dignity. They understood and responded to their individual needs. Staff understood people’s cultural needs and provided culturally appropriate care. Relatives spoke positively about the staff team. One relative said; “[The staff] are very responsive and available…. I could not praise them enough.” People could communicate with staff and understand information given to them because staff supported them consistently and understood their individual communication needs. People could pursue interests that were tailored to them. The service gave people opportunities to try new activities that enhanced and enriched their lives.

Right culture; People were supported by staff who understood best practice in relation to the wide range of strengths, impairments and sensitivities people with a learning disability or autism may have. Staff knew and understood people well. They were responsive and supported peoples wishes to live a quality life of their choosing. People and their relatives were involved with planning their 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 good (published 4 March 2021).

Why we inspected

We undertook this inspection to assess that the service is applying the principles of Right support right care right culture.

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.

We received concerns in relation to staffing levels and how people were supported. As a result, we undertook a focused inspection to review the key questions of safe, effective and well-led only. 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 remained good based on the findings of this inspection.

We found no evidence during this inspection that people were at risk of harm from these concerns. Please see the safe, effective and well-led sections of this full report.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Elm Lodge 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.