Kimbolton 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 the COVID-19 pandemic we are looking at how services manage infection control and visiting arrangements. This was a targeted inspection looking at the infection prevention and control measures the provider had 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 27 January 2021 and was unannounced.

Updated 18 February 2022

About the service:

Kimbolton Lodge is a residential care home providing personal and nursing care to 36 younger and older adults at the time of the inspection. The service can support up to 36 people. The service consists of two floors which had been adapted to support people’s needs. People had their own bedrooms and shared facilities such as dining rooms, lounges, bathrooms and a garden. Some people used the service for rehabilitation following a stay in hospital.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found:

People were happy with the care they received from staff at the service. One person said, ‘‘Everyone is very kind here. If you need help you get it and [staff] get to know how you like to be supported. We all help each other like one big family and I am very happy here.’’

Staff were kind and compassionate and treated people as individuals, involving them in all aspects of their care. People’s privacy and dignity was respected, and people were encouraged to maintain their independence. Staff knew people’s likes, dislikes, communication methods and preferences and supported them according to these. A wide variety of activities both at the service and in the community were available for people to take part in. The service was designed to meet the needs of people using the service.

People felt safe and were protected from harm and abuse by systems in place at the service. Risk assessments were in place to keep people safe whilst allowing them to take positive risks. People were supported safely with their medicines and good infection control measures were in place at the service.

Staff members were trained and competent in their job roles and there were enough staff to meet people’s needs safely. People were also able to spend meaningful time with staff to help staff get to know them well. A complaints procedure was in place if people wanted to make a complaint about the service. People had plans in place for the end of their life and staff members had a good understanding of how to support people at this time.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. People were supported to eat a healthy diet and were supported to see health professionals if this support was needed.

There was a positive culture at the service and the registered manager and staff team were passionate about achieving good outcomes for people. The registered manager and senior staff completed audits and put actions in place to monitor and improve the quality of the service. People, relatives and staff were able to feedback, and this was used to improve the service. The registered manager and staff team linked with other organisations to support people with their well-being.

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 4 May 2017).

Why we inspected:

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up:

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.