Clinton Lodge

Updated 31 December 2022

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

As part of this inspection we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place. This was conducted so we can understand the preparedness of the service in preventing or managing an infection outbreak, and to identify good practice we can share with other services.

Inspection team

The inspection was completed by 2 inspectors.

Service and service type

Clinton Lodge is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and/or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. Clinton Lodge is a care home without nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was not a registered manager in post. A manager was in post who was awaiting an up to date DBS check so they could start the process of registering.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We observed, interacted or spoke with 3 people. We spoke with 5 members of staff including the manager, an agency staff member and the cleaner. We reviewed 2 people’s records, including their care plans and risk assessments. We also looked at 2 people’s medicines records and a range of records relating to the day to day running and oversight of the service. We spoke with 2 relatives and1 professional by phone.

Updated 31 December 2022

About the service

Clinton Lodge is a residential care home providing personal care to up to five people. The service provides support to people with learning and /or physical disabilities. At the time of our inspection there were five people using the service.

Clinton Lodge is a detached building located in its own gardens in a residential area of Redruth.

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ is the guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements about services supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people and providers must have regard to it.

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

Right Support:

People’s medicines were not always managed safely.

People were not always supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff did not always support them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service did not support this practice.

People who experienced periods of distress had proactive plans in place to guide staff how to support them. Reasonable adjustments were made for people so they could participate fully in discussions about their support.

People’s care and support was provided in a safe, clean, well-maintained environment which met their physical needs. People had a choice about their living environment and were able to personalise their rooms.

People could access health and social care support in the community.

Right care

People’s care plans did not always reflect people’s up to date needs. People spent time undertaking activities that interested them, but records did not always clearly describe people’s aspirations or goals for the future. Information recorded about people’s needs was not always consistent across different records.

Risk assessments were undertaken but did not all contain sufficient information to help staff reduce risks.

The service had enough staff working each day to meet people’s needs and keep them safe.

Staff understood people’s individual communication needs.

Right culture

The provider had not provided enough support to the manager. This meant aspects of the service and people’s care had not been reviewed as frequently as needed or kept up to date. The service did not always reflect best practice.

People received care and support from staff who were trained to meet people’s needs and wishes. Staff knew and understood people well and were responsive to people’s needs.

The service involved appropriate professionals in planning people’s care.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection and update The last rating for this service was good (published 06 July 2022).

Why we inspected

We received concerns in relation to the management of people’s health needs. As a result, we undertook a focused inspection to review the key questions of safe, effective and well-led only. For those key questions not inspected, we used the ratings awarded at the last inspection to calculate the overall rating.

The overall rating for the service has changed from good to requires improvement based on the findings of this inspection. We have found evidence that the provider needs to make improvements. Please see the safe, effective and well led sections of this full report. You can see what action we have asked the provider to take at the end of this full report.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Clinton Lodge on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Enforcement and Recommendations

We are mindful of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our regulatory function. This meant we took account of the exceptional circumstances arising as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic when considering what enforcement action was necessary and proportionate to keep people safe as a result of this inspection. We will continue to monitor the service and will take further action if needed.

We have identified breaches in relation to safe care and treatment and good governance at this inspection.

Please see the action we have told the provider to take at the end of this 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 continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.