Archived: Virginia Lodge Care Home

Updated 25 April 2018

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.’

This unannounced inspection took place on the 21 February 2018 and was completed by one adult social care inspector.

Virginia Lodge is a residential care home for up to 32 older people, some of whom may be living with dementia. The home is located approximately a mile and a half from the small border town of Longtown and is in a rural setting. Accommodation for people using this service is all at ground floor level. At the time of our inspection visit there were 20 people living in the home.

Virginia Lodge is a 'care home.' People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Before the inspection, we checked for any notifications made to us by the provider and the information we held on our database about the service. Statutory notifications are pieces of information about important events which took place at the service, such as safeguarding incidents, which the provider is required to send to us by law.

During our inspection we spoke with five people who lived in the home, four members of care staff, the maintenance manager and one domestic. We spent time with the registered manager and deputy manager. There were no visitors in the home at the time of our inspection but we spoke to a relative on the telephone to ask for their opinion about the service provided. We gained information from local social care practitioners about the care and support provided.

We looked at four care and support plans, four staff recruitment files and other records pertaining to the running of the home. We checked records that evidenced essential services to the building had been maintained. These included fire safety records and gas and electricity safety certificates.

We were able to read peoples’ responses to the recently returned survey forms sent to relatives and friends asking for their opinion of the home.

Updated 25 April 2018

This unannounced inspection took place on the 21 February and was completed by one adult social care inspector.

Virginia Lodge is a residential care home for up to 32 older people, some of whom may be living with dementia. The home is located approximately a mile and a half from the small border town of Longtown and is in a rural setting. Accommodation for people using this service is all at ground floor level. At the time of our inspection visit there were 20 people living in the home.

There was a registered manager in place who was also the registered provider. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are 'registered persons'. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

At our last inspection on 3 December 2015 we rated the service good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and on-going monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection. This service remains good.

People who used this service were safe. The staff knew how to identify if a person was at risk of abuse and the action to take to protect people from harm. Risks to people's safety had been assessed and measures put in place to manage any hazards identified. Staff had completed training in the protection of vulnerable people.

Staffing levels were good. The records we looked at showed that staffing levels were planned around the needs of people who lived in the home. We saw that staffing levels were increased at certain times during the day when the work load was at the highest level. People were recruited safely which ensured only suitable people were employed at Virginia Lodge.

We found that peoples' medicines were managed well with staff having a good working relationship with the local pharmacist. Healthcare needs were met through advice from the mental health team, peoples' doctors and consultants where necessary. Dental, optical, chiropody and dietician services were accessed when required.

The building was warm, safe, suitably decorated and well furnished. Equipment was maintained and replaced as necessary. Some areas were in the process of being upgraded and the maintenance person was working on this. The provider had plans to continue re-decoration until the work throughout was completed.

The home was clean and good infection control practices were in place.

The registered manager understood her responsibilities under the Mental Capacity Act 2005. People were supported to have maximum choice and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. Restraint was not used nor was it needed at the time of our visit and we had evidence that people were asked for consent for all interventions.

Nutritional plans were in place and people told us they enjoyed their meals. Dieticians were consulted if people were at risk of losing weight.

Health care professionals visited the home regularly. Staff supported and cared for people during times of ill health and at the end of life.

We observed caring and sensitive interactions between staff and people they supported. We saw that people were respected and treated with dignity and patience. Matters of equality and diversity were taken into account by the team.

Care plans were easy to follow and provided staff with the guidance required to meet peoples’ assessed needs.

There was an activities programme and people could join in if they wished. External entertainers visited the home.

The provider had a suitable quality monitoring system in place. The results of the regular audits were used to identify how well the service was running. Any changes and/or improvements that were required as a result of the audits were dealt with as soon as possible. Good recording systems were in place.