Archived: Russell Lodge

Updated 18 February 2022

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.

As part of CQC’s response to care homes with outbreaks of COVID-19, we are conducting reviews to ensure that the Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) practice is safe and that services are compliant with IPC measures. This was a targeted inspection looking at the IPC practices the provider has in place. We also asked the provider about any staffing pressures the service was experiencing and whether this was having an impact on the service.

This inspection took place on 31 January 2022 and was unannounced. We informed the service shortly before our arrival to make the registered manager aware of our visit.

Updated 18 February 2022

This inspection took place on the 4 July 2018 and was unannounced. Russell Lodge is a care home. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as 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 is registered to accommodate up to five adults with learning disabilities or on the autistic spectrum. Five people were using the service at the time of our inspection.

The care service has been developed and designed in line with the values that underpin the Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These values include choice, promotion of independence and inclusion. People with learning disabilities and autism using the service can live as ordinary a life as any citizen.

At the previous inspection of this service in July 2016 we rated them as Good overall. We found one breach of regulations because staff had not received training about the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and rated the Effective question as Requires Improvement. Following the last inspection, we asked the provider to complete an action plan to show what they would do and by when to improve the key question of Effective to at least good. During this inspection we found this issue had been addressed.

The service had a registered manager in place. 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.

There were enough staff working at the service to meet people’s needs and robust staff recruitment procedures were in place. Appropriate safeguarding procedures were in place. Checks had been carried out to help ensure the premises was safe. Risk assessments provided information about how to support people in a safe manner. Procedures were in place to reduce the risk of the spread of infection. Medicines were managed in a safe way.

Systems were in place to assess people’s needs before they started using the service to determine if those needs could be met. Staff received on-going training and supervision to support them in their role. People were able to make choices for themselves and the service operated within the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005. People told us they enjoyed the food. People were supported to access relevant health care professionals.

People told us they were treated with respect and that staff were caring. Staff had a good understanding of how to promote people’s privacy, independence and dignity. We saw staff interacting with people in a caring manner. Steps had been taken to promote people’s right to confidentiality and to support needs relating to equality and diversity.

Care plans were in place which set out how to meet people’s individual needs. Care plans were subject to regular review. The service had a complaints procedure in place and people knew how to make a complaint. People were supported to engage in various social and leisure activities.

Staff and people spoke positively about the senior staff at the service. Systems were in place to monitor the quality and safety of support provided. Some of these included seeking the views of people who used the service.