Washington Lodge

This inspection was due to concerns about people’s care and safety. In particular, concerns about skincare, poor hygiene, delayed responses to care needs, high use of agency staff, medicines management, ineffective management oversight, pressure on staff and a lack of a qualified chef. We found some evidence of some these concerns during our inspection.

Care plans did not reflect people’s current needs. Positional change records were not completed correctly and we were not assured people received skin care they needed. These observations had not been identified through the provider’s quality assurance processes. In response, the registered manager had reviewed all care plans and completed an action plan. They had identified the improvements needed and set timescales for staff to complete the required work. However, these improvements had not been identified through the provider’s usual quality assurance processes.

The registered manager monitored and risk assessed staffing levels to ensure a suitable number of staff were deployed. However, staff raised concerns about staffing pressures they faced. This included having insufficient time to spend quality time with people, due to the volume and duplication of paperwork. They also raised concerns about staff retention challenges and the frequent use of agency staff.

Staff spoke positively about the registered manager. They also described the home as having a supportive culture and good teamwork. Staff received regular supervision and appraisal.

The service had effective systems for managing incidents, accidents and safeguarding concerns, with analysis undertaken to identify learning and areas for improvement. Systems were in place to monitor and manage Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) applications and authorisations appropriately.

The environment was clean and people's bedrooms were personalised to reflect their preferences and interests. However, parts of the environment needed refurbishing and upgrading to enhance the overall experience for people living at the home.