Archived: Sovereign Lodge

Sovereign Lodge provides personal care for up to 44 older people and people living with dementia. Nursing care is not provided. It is divided into two units one of which provides support to people living with dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 44 people living at the home.

The service had 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.

There was sufficient appropriately trained staff to meet people’s needs. They received regular supervision and appraisal and as part of their recruitment process the service carried out background checks on new staff.

Staff were aware of how to identify and report abuse. There were also policies in place that outlined what to do if staff had concerns about the practice of a colleague. Where people were not able to make important decisions about their lives the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 were followed to protect their rights.

The service managed medicines appropriately. They were correctly stored, monitored and administered in accordance with people’s prescriptions. People were supported to maintain their health and to access health services if needed. People who required support with eating and drinking received it and had their nutrition and hydration support needs regularly assessed.

Staff had developed good relationships with people and communicated in a warm and friendly manner. They demonstrated good communication skills in relation to supporting people who lived with dementia. They were aware of how to treat people with dignity and respect.

Care plans were subject to regular review to ensure they met people’s changing needs. Risk assessments were carried out and plans were put in place to reduce risks to people’ safety and welfare.

There was a complaints procedure in place that outlined how to make a complaint and how long it would take to deal with. People were aware of how to raise a complaint and who to speak to about any concerns they had. The registered manager understood the importance of acknowledging and improving areas of poor practice identified in complaints.

The home was clean and the staff were aware of good infection control practices.

The home was well led by a registered manager who had a vision for the future of the service. A quality assurance system was in place that was utilised to improve the service.