Archived: Stroud Lodge

Updated 18 March 2016

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

This inspection took place over one day on 23 January 2016 and was unannounced. Our inspection was carried out by one inspector. During the inspection we spoke with five people who use the service, two relatives, three members of staff and the registered manager. We observed staff interactions with people and each other throughout the inspection.

We undertook a tour of the premises, looked at five care records, four staff recruitment files, staff training records, staff duty rotas, minutes from various meetings and other records relating to the management of the home.

Prior to the inspection we looked at the information we held about the service. This information included the statutory notifications that the provider had sent to the Care Quality Commission and the Provider Information Record (PIR). A notification is information about important events which the service is required to send us by law. The PIR is requested by us and asks the provider for key information about the service, tells us what the service does well and the improvements they plan to make.

After the inspection we spoke with two health care professionals that have had regular contact with the service. We were also given documents after the inspection relating to people’s achievements at the home, meeting minutes, surveys and the business plan.

The last inspection of Stroud Lodge was completed on 1 July 2013. At that time we found the service was compliant with the regulations in each of the areas we checked.

Updated 18 March 2016

This inspection was unannounced and took place on 23 January 2016. Stroud Lodge is registered to provide accommodation for up to nine people with learning disabilities or mental health disorders.

The home was made up of three floors with nine bedrooms, five of which had en suite facilities. There was a lounge, dining room, computer room and a small room where people could sit and read. Stroud Lodge also had the benefit of an enclosed landscaped garden. At the time of our inspection there were nine people living at the home.

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.

People were happy and felt safe. People’s confidence and ability to be as independent as possible had grown since living at Stroud Lodge. Their risks were managed effectively and they felt confident meeting new challenges with the support of the staff. They had their medicines administered safely and there were enough staff so that they could undertake the activities they wished and be supported in meeting their individual needs.

People’s care plans were tailored for them as individuals with the involvement of their families at all stages. People were cared for by staff that knew them really well and understood how to support them to attain their goals. People’s progress was monitored and celebrated. Staff were constantly looking for opportunities to offer to people that would help them grow, gain confidence and live a fulfilled life. People were able to participate in the quality assurance processes of their home and could undertake a variety of different training offered by the provider.

People and those important to them were closely involved in developing the service. People were enabled and encouraged to maintain and develop friendships in and outside of the home and to develop links with the community.

Staff were very well supported and had the benefit of a programme of training that enabled them to ensure they could provide the best possible care and support. Staff lived the values of the provider and put people at the heart of everything they did. Staff were all clear that they worked as a team and for the benefit of the people living at Stroud Lodge. Their comments and feedback fed into the continuous improvement of the service.

There had been no complaints about the service for the last two years.

The service had a strong leadership presence with a registered manager who had a clear vision about the direction of the service. She was committed and passionate about the people they supported and was constantly looking for ways to improve. The home and the registered manager had significant support and guidance from the provider. Thorough and frequent quality assurance processes and audits ensured that all care and support was delivered in the safest and most effective way possible.