About the service: Abbottswood Lodge is a residential care home that provides personal care for up to 13 people aged 65 and over. At the time of the inspection there were 13 people using the service.

People’s experience of using this service:

Since its acquisition the provider had overseen changes in management and had started to implement new systems and processes to improve the standards of the service. However, the provider had not, within their improvement plan, prioritised improvements in line with highest risk such as fire safety and significant work remained outstanding in this area. This was a breach of Regulation 12 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014.

Not everyone had a robust plan of care for staff to follow to meet their needs appropriately and consistently. The service had not applied the principles of the MCA as people's ability to make a specific decision had not been assessed and best interest assessments completed.

The new manager was creating a positive and inclusive culture at the home, with a supportive approach developing strong and productive relationships with the staff team. The manager was honest and open about work which still needed doing and understood new systems and processes still had to be embedded and sustained. Together, with the providers new quality manager, they had formed good working relationships with external organisations to ensure they deliver care that meets national standards and best practice.

Management and staff had developed positive and trusting relationships with people that helped to keep them safe. They had a full awareness and understanding of abuse and their responsibilities to protect people. Safe recruitment practices were carried out. There were sufficient numbers of staff with the right skills and competency to meet the current needs of people using the service.

People benefitted from the support of the service and were treated with kindness and respect. Staff had developed positive relationships with the people they supported. They understood people’s needs, preferences, and what was important to them. The atmosphere and appearance of the home was comfortable, homely and clean but additional environmental adaptations could be made to better support people living with dementia.

People’s wellbeing was promoted, and staff provided a range of group activities which encouraged engagement and stimulation. The staff worked well with external health care professionals and people were supported with their needs and accessed health services when required. People received their medicines in a safe and supportive way.

Rating at last inspection: This service has been acquired by a new provider. Although the rating of Requires Improvement at the last inspection was not awarded to this provider, they would have had full knowledge of the history and are responsible for improving the service, including addressing any issues from the last inspection.

Why we inspected: This was a scheduled inspection.

Follow up: We will continue to monitor intelligence we receive about the service until we return to visit as outlined in our inspection programme and schedule. If any concerning information is received, we may inspect sooner.

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