30 July 2019
During a routine inspection
Coniston Lodge is a residential care home providing accommodation and personal care to seven older adults at the time of the inspection. The service can support up to 10 people and provides care to some people living with dementia. Accommodation is provided in one two storey building.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
Records relating to risks to people had not always been completed or reviewed. Examples included risks associated with falls and trip hazards on the landing. We found no evidence that people had been harmed. Audits had not been regularly completed and therefore not identified areas requiring improvement found at our inspection.
People and their families described the care as safe and told us there were enough staff to meet their needs. Staff had been recruited safely, which included employment and criminal record checks. Staff had completed safeguarding training and understood their role in recognising and reporting any suspected abuse or poor practice. People had their medicine administered safely by trained staff. People were protected from preventable infections as staff followed safe infection control practices.
Pre-admission assessments had been completed which captured people’s care needs and lifestyle choices. Staff had completed an induction and received on-going training and support that enabled them to meet people’s care needs. Coniston Lodge worked with other professionals such as district nurses to enable effective outcomes for people. People had access to healthcare for both planned and emergency events. People had a well balanced diet; meals were home cooked and varied. The building and decoration enabled people independent access to private and social spaces inside and around the garden.
People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported did support them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.
People and their families consistently spoke positively about their care. Staff were described as kind, caring, patient and thoughtful. Staff were knowledgeable about people and their past histories. People felt involved in decisions about their care. We observed people having their privacy, dignity and independence respected.
People received person centred care that reflected their wishes and lifestyle choices. Staff understood people’s individual communication skills. No complaints had been received since our last inspection, but people were aware of the complaints process and felt able to use it if needed. People had an opportunity to be involved in end of life planning which reflected any cultural or spiritual wishes.
The culture of Coniston Lodge was open and honest with visible leadership. People, families and the staff team felt involved and able to express their views. Legal reporting requirements to CQC and other statutory bodies was met.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk.
Rating at last inspection
The last rating for this service was good (report published 25 February 2017).
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
We have found evidence the provider needs to make improvements. Please see the safe and well led sections of this full report.
Follow up
We will request an action plan from the provider to understand what they will do to improve the standards of quality and safety. We will work alongside the provider and local authority to monitor progress. We will return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.