The Lodge

Updated 11 February 2020

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Service and service type

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

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI). SOFI is a way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us. We carried out close observations of interactions between staff and five people using the service. We spoke with one visiting family member and five members of staff including the provider’s regional director of operations, the registered manager, a nurse and support workers.

We reviewed a range of records. This included people’s care and medication records. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including recruitment, reports and quality checks, were reviewed.

After the inspection

We phoned three relatives to ask their views about the service. The registered manager sent us additional information, which we reviewed. This included compliments and feedback about student nurse placements, staff supervision and training data, as well as satisfaction survey results.

Updated 11 February 2020

About the service

The Lodge is a residential care home providing personal and nursing care to six people with different health and care needs, including learning disabilities and/or autism, at the time of the inspection. The service can support up to six people in a single-floor adapted building within the residential neighbourhood of Swallownest outside of Sheffield.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

People appeared relaxed in the presence of staff supporting them and family members felt people were safe and well looked after living at The Lodge. Family members praised the staff and quality of the service. Staff knew people well and treated them with dignity, kindness and respect for their individuality, preferences, abilities and needs. Staff used person-centred approaches to support people effectively, using individualised ways to communicate and engage with people positively.

We made a recommendation regarding the service’s awareness of Registering the Right Support, as well as the continued development of transitions and planning in line with Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) principles, which the provider was supporting. However, we found examples of the principles of Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance being applied. The principles reflect the need for people with learning disabilities and/or autism to live meaningful lives that include control, choice, and independence. People using the service received planned and co-ordinated person-centred support that was appropriate and inclusive for them. Staff did not wear uniforms or anything that suggested they were care staff when coming and going with people. People's support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible for them to gain new skills.

The service’s person-centred, inclusive culture and warm, family-like atmosphere were led by a long-standing well-respected registered manager. They and the staff team worked effectively with a variety of other health and social care professionals to achieve positive outcomes for people. People, family members, staff and professionals were involved in the development of the service. The Lodge was well integrated into the local community through regular neighbourhood events.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff generally supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. The service was continuously looking to reduce restrictions present in people’s support. We discussed with the registered manager further ways to develop this.

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

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was good (published 23 May 2017).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.