Stonedale Lodge Care Home

People said they liked the staff and felt well cared for. Inspectors also observed staff interacting kindly and found staff knew the people they supported.

“Everyone else we spoke with described the staff as 'kind' and 'caring'.” from the report

People and relatives told inspectors they felt safe at the home.

“People told us they felt safe at the home.” from the report

The home completed checks to assess whether staff were suitable to work with vulnerable adults.

“Staff were recruited safely after checks had been undertaken on their suitability to work with vulnerable adults.” from the report

Inspectors found that the home was working within the Mental Capacity Act principles and that required legal authorisations were in place where needed.

“We found the service was working within the principles of the MCA and if needed, appropriate legal authorisations were in place” from the report

Risk assessments and care records did not always reflect people's current needs. Inspectors found concerns involving blood pressure, choking, diets, diabetes and falls.

“Risks to people's wellbeing and clinical needs were not always being assessed, mitigated or managed.” from the report

Some prescribed medicines were not available, and instructions or records for medicines given through feeding tubes, patches and creams were incomplete.

“Prescribed medicines were not always available to be given to people as there was no stock in the home.” from the report

Safeguarding systems existed but were not used effectively. Inspectors found missed opportunities to protect people from possible harm.

“There were systems and processes in place to help identify and report abuse. However, these were not always being used effectively” from the report

Some people looked unkempt, oral care was not always offered at suitable times, and some bedding was stained. Some care records used disrespectful wording.

“People were not always being cared for in a dignified way.” from the report

Audits and governance checks did not identify important problems. This was the third consecutive breach relating to governance.

“However, governance systems remained ineffective as they were not thorough enough.” from the report

The home identified enough staff using its dependency tools, but some staff said they had to manage with the numbers available when people's needs were high.

“However, some staff told us they had to 'make do' as there was not always enough of them to provide the required level of care.” from the report