Archived: Bannatyne Lodge Care Home

Updated 22 June 2015

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 9 and 16 April 2015 and was unannounced. This meant the staff and the provider did not know we would be visiting. The inspection was carried out by an adult social care inspector, an adult social care inspection manager, a specialist adviser (nurse) and an expert by experience. An expert by experience has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service. Our expert had expertise in older people’s services.

Before we visited the home we checked the information we held about this location and the service provider, for example, inspection history, safeguarding notifications and complaints. We also contacted professionals involved in caring for people who used the service, including commissioners, safeguarding and infection control staff.

During our inspection we spoke with fourteen people who used the service, five relatives and one friend. We also spoke with the manager, the peripatetic regional manager, the care quality facilitator, an agency nurse, the personal activities leader, five care staff, the administrator, the cook and a domestic.

We looked at the personal care or treatment records of four people who used the service and observed how people were being cared for. We also looked at the personnel files for five members of staff.

We reviewed staff training and recruitment records. We also looked at records relating to the management of the service such as audits, surveys and policies.

For this inspection, the provider was not asked to complete 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. We spoke with the manager about what was good about their service and any improvements they intended to make.

Updated 22 June 2015

This inspection took place on 9 and 16 April 2015 and was unannounced. This meant the staff and the provider did not know we would be visiting. The home was last inspected by CQC on 27 January 2014 and required improvements to make the service safe and effective.

A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) 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 the time of our inspection there was a new manager in post who was applying to become registered.

Bannatyne Lodge Care Home is a purpose built care home in the town of Peterlee, County Durham. It provides general nursing, residential, respite and palliative care for up to 50 older people over two floors. On the day of our inspection there were 28 people using the service.

People who used the service and their relatives were complimentary about the standard of care at Bannatyne Lodge Care Home. Without exception, everyone we spoke with told us they were happy with the care they were receiving and described staff as very kind, respectful and caring.

There were sufficient numbers of staff on duty in order to meet the needs of people using the service. The provider had an effective recruitment and selection procedure in place and carried out relevant checks when they employed staff. Training records were up to date and staff received supervisions and appraisals.

There were appropriate security measures in place to ensure the safety of the people who used the service. The provider had procedures in place for managing the maintenance of the premises.

The layout of the building provided adequate space for people with walking aids or wheelchairs to mobilise safely around the home and was suitably designed for people with dementia type conditions.

CQC monitors the operation of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) which applies to care homes. The Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) are part of the Mental Capacity Act 2005. They aim to make sure that people in care homes, hospitals and supported living are looked after in a way that does not inappropriately restrict their freedom. We looked at records and discussed DoLS with the manager, who told us that there were DoLS in place and in the process of being applied for. We found the provider was following the requirements in the DoLS.

We saw mental capacity assessments had been completed for people and best interest decisions made for their care and treatment. We also saw staff had completed training in the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards.

People were protected against the risks associated with the unsafe use and management of medicines.

We saw staff supporting and helping to maintain people’s independence. People were encouraged to care for themselves where possible. Staff treated people with dignity and respect.

People had access to food and drink throughout the day and we saw staff supporting people in the dining room at meal times when required.

The home had a programme of activities in place for people who used the service.

All the care records we looked at showed people’s needs were assessed. Care plans and risk assessments were in place when required and daily records were up to date.

We saw staff used a range of assessment tools and kept clear records about how care was to be delivered.

We saw people who used the service had access to healthcare services and received ongoing healthcare support. Care records contained evidence of visits from external specialists.

The provider consulted people who used the service, their relatives, visitors and stakeholders about the quality of the service provided.