This inspection took place on 1 and 3 August 2017 and was unannounced. The service had recently transferred to a new provider, The Lodge Romford Limited, and this was the first inspection since the change of provider.

The Lodge Care Home is registered to provide personal care, including respite care, for 94 older people some of which may have palliative care needs. On the day of our visit there were 89 people using the service.

There was a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) 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 premises were clean, tidy and regular maintenance and health and safety checks were carried out. Risks to people, such as falls and certain behaviours were assessed and managed. The provider reported falls to the local authority and notified the CQC of any serious incidents or injuries.

People and relatives commented the service was a safe place and did not have any concerns regarding how it was managed. However, we made a recommendation about ensuring staff followed correct procedures when administering medicines to keep people were safe.

There were enough staff on duty to meet people's needs and the provider was recruiting more permanent staff. The provider carried out appropriate checks on all new employees before they started working at the service.

Staff received training on how to keep people safe and were able to describe the actions they would take if they had any concerns about people’s safety. The provider also had a whistleblowing policy which staff were aware of and said they would not hesitate to use.

Staff ensured people had access to appropriate healthcare when needed and their nutritional needs were met.

Staff had a good understanding of how to support people who lacked capacity to make decisions for themselves. The provider had systems in place to support people who lacked capacity to make decisions for themselves. Staff received training in the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and in other areas. This helped to prepare and develop them with skills to look after people who lived at the service.

Staff received regular support through one to one meeting with their line managers. Their work performances were reviewed on a yearly basis.

People were treated with dignity and their choices were respected. Staff encouraged people to be as independent as possible.

People received personalised care and support, to ensure their individual needs were met. They were encouraged to participate in activities or pursue any hobbies and interests.

People and relatives were able to make complaints and have them investigated. We made a recommendation about ensuring people’s clothes are returned to them after being taken to the laundry.

The provider had systems in place to monitor the quality of the service provided to people.