Archived: Chestnut Lodge

Updated 4 October 2016

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 inspection took place on 21 and 22 September 2016. The visit on 21 September was unannounced and we told the provider we would return on 22 September to complete the inspection.

One inspector carried out the inspection.

Before the inspection we reviewed the information we held about the service, including the last inspection report, the provider’s action plans and statutory notifications the provider sent us about significant incidents and events that affected people using the service. We also contacted 20 health and social care professionals and people who had experience of visiting people using the service to get their views on the care people received. Before the inspection, the provider also completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.

During the inspection, we spoke with 14 people using the service, eight relatives and visitors and 11 members of staff, including the registered manager, nurses, care and ancillary staff. We also used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI) in one dining room at lunchtime. SOFI is a way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us. We looked at a selection of records the provider kept in the service, including care records and risk assessments for six people, 11 people’s medicines records, recruitment, training and support records for four members of staff and records of checks and audits the provider, registered manager and staff carried out.

Updated 4 October 2016

This inspection took place on 21 and 22 September 2016. The visit on 21 September was unannounced and we told the provider we would return on 22 September to complete the inspection.

We last inspected the service on 26 and 27 August 2016 when we found three breaches of the regulations covering risk management, treating people with dignity and respect and the provision of care and support in a person-centred way. Following our inspection, the provider sent us an action plan on 26 November 2016 and told us they would meet the regulations by the end of January 2016. At this inspection we found the provider had taken action and addressed the issues we identified.

Chestnut Lodge provides accommodation, nursing and personal care for up to 64 older people living with the experience of dementia. At the time of this inspection, 62 people were using the service.

The service has a registered manager. 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.

People using the service and their relatives told us people were cared for safely. Nurses and care staff were familiar with the provider’s safeguarding procedures and were able to tell us what they would do if they had any concerns about someone’s safety or wellbeing.

There were enough staff to meet people’s care needs and the provider carried out checks to make sure new staff were suitable to work with people using the service.

People using the service and their relatives told us staff were well-trained to meet people’s care needs. The staff told us they felt well supported by the provider and managers in the service. People and their relatives also told us the staff who cared for and supported them were caring and that they always treated people with respect. We saw the staff caring for people were polite and kind. They knew people well and spoke about them with genuine affection.

Managers and staff were working within the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and any conditions on authorisations to deprive a person of their liberty were being met.

Most people told us they enjoyed the food provided in the service.

People had access to the health care services they needed and they received the medicines they needed safely.

People using the service and their relatives told us they received the care and support they needed. Each person had a care plan that included an assessment of their health and social care needs and guidance for staff on how to meet these.

People told us the provider arranged activities and outings and most people said they enjoyed these.

The service had a manager who was registered with the Care Quality Commission. People using the service, their visitors and staff spoke positively about the manager.

Throughout the inspection, the atmosphere in the service was open, welcoming and inclusive.

The provider had systems to monitor quality in the service and to make improvements.