This unannounced inspection took place on 04 and 08 January 2019.

Arnside Lodge is a 'care home'. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Arnside Lodge is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to 32 older people living with dementia and or other mental health conditions. The home is based over two floors with two stair lift access to the second floor. There were 29 people residing at the home at the time of inspection.

Although there was a registered manager in place, they were unavailable at the time of the inspection. The service was being overseen by the care manager in the absence of the registered manager.

Arnside Lodge was first inspected in May 2016. At the inspection in we identified no concerns within the care provided and the service was rated good.

At this inspection visit carried out in January 2019, we checked to see that all good levels of care had been maintained. At this inspection we found the service remained Good. We found the registered provider had continued to invest in the building and promoted excellent standards of care.

The registered provider had made significant changes within the building to promote excellent living standards for people at the home. This had included adding additional communal areas within the home, an on-site hairdressers’ and an accessible bathroom for people to use.

Additionally, the home had developed a safe outdoor space which people could access at the own free will. Design and adaptations had been researched to ensure the environment was safe and met the needs of people who lived at the home.

The service worked in partnership with healthcare professionals and families to ensure people’s health care needs were met. The registered provider took a holistic approach to meet health needs of people who used the service which had resulted in positive outcomes for people. Relatives praised the ways in which people’s quality of life had improved since their family members had used the service. We were repeatedly told staff made a difference and promoted a good quality of life for people.

Risk was appropriately addressed and managed. Risks assessments were in place to ensure staff were aware of risk to keep people safe from harm.

Since the last inspection visit a designated room had been developed for the safe storage of medicines. Medicines were stored and administered in line with good practice.

The registered provider had developed a stable staff team to support people who lived at the home. Relatives told us staffing levels were good and people were supported by a staff team who knew them well.

People and relatives told us safety was considered at all times. Staff could identify types of abuse and the associated responsibilities they had in reporting abuse.

Staff understood the importance of providing person centred activities. Activities routinely took place within the home and the wider community. Relatives told us there was always something happening at the home to keep people occupied.

People and relatives told us staff were caring. We observed staff providing care and found they were patient, kind and caring. The registered provider understood the importance of effective auditing systems. Audits were routinely carried out and action was taken when concerns were identified.

Care plans for people were person centred, in depth and detailed. Care plans provided staff with the correct information to enable them to care for people in a person-centred way. The principles of the Human Rights Act were embedded throughout service delivery.

Infection prevention and control processes were embedded throughout the home. We found the home was maintained to an excellent standard. Relatives agreed hygiene standards within the home were excellent.

There was a whole

This unannounced inspection took place on 31 May and 03 June 2016.

Arnside lodge is situated in a residential area of Morecambe and is near to the shops and sea front. Accommodation is on two floors. There are two lounges and two dining rooms for people to use.

There were 24 people who lived at the home on the day of inspection.

There was a registered manager in place. 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.

The service was first registered with the Care Quality Commission in October 2015. This was the first inspection of the home under the management of the new registered provider. The registered provider has a further two homes in the Morecambe area.

At this inspection carried out in May and June 2016, feedback from relatives and visitors was positive. People praised the way changes had been made since the new provider took over the home. Extensive building work was in progress to improve the living conditions for people who lived at the home.

People who lived at the home and relatives spoke highly about the quality of service provision on offer.

Staffing levels were conducive to meet people’s needs. We observed staff demonstrating patience with people and taking time to sit with them to offer companionship and comfort. People were given time to carry out tasks as a means to promote independence and were not rushed.

People who used the service expressed concern about the number of different staff working at the home. The registered manager explained this was a short term plan. Their aim was to match staff by skills and interests and develop multi-skilled staff. Relatives told us the changes in staffing did not affect the quality of care provided.

Arrangements were in place to protect people from the risk of abuse. People told us they felt safe and secure. Staff had knowledge of safeguarding procedures and were aware of their responsibilities for reporting any concerns. During the inspection we identified some errors in reporting of safeguarding incidents to the Care Quality Commission. The registered provider took immediate action and implemented a new procedure for reporting incidents. We have made a recommendation about this.

Robust recruitment procedures were in place to ensure staff were correctly vetted before employment was secured.

Suitable arrangements were in place for managing and administering medicines. Regular audits of medicines were carried out by staff.

People’s healthcare needs were monitored and referrals were made to health professionals in a timely manner when health needs changed. Feedback from health professionals was positive.

Systems were in place to monitor and manage risk. Staff were encouraged to identify and respond to risk in a timely manner.

Detailed care plans were in place for people who lived at the home. Care plans covered support needs and personal wishes. Plans were reviewed and updated at regular intervals and information was sought from appropriate professionals as and when required. Consent was gained wherever appropriate.

Feedback on the quality of food provided was consistently positive. People praised the skills of the cook and the variety of foods on offer.

The registered manager had implemented a range of quality assurance systems to monitor the quality and effectiveness of the service provided.

The service provided a variety of social activities for people who lived at the home to keep them occupied and entertained. The registered provider kept a record of all activities undertaken. People had access to minibus trips out. We saw people visiting the home to carry out activities.

Staff were positive about the way the home was managed. Staff described the hom