Archived: Gallimore Lodge

Updated 16 August 2017

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection checked 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 was a comprehensive inspection. The inspection was completed on 20 July 2017 and was unannounced. The inspection team consisted of one inspector.

We reviewed the information we held about the service including safeguarding alerts and other notifications. This refers specifically to incidents, events and changes the provider and registered manager are required to notify us about by law.

The majority of people who used the service were unable to verbally converse with us as a result of their complex communication needs. Therefore 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 also spoke with people’s relatives or those acting on their behalf to ascertain their views about the quality of the service provided for their member of family.

We spoke with three people who used the service, three people’s relatives, three members of support staff, a senior member of staff who was deputising for the registered manager as they were unavailable at the time of the inspection and the deputy operations manager.

We reviewed three people’s support plans and support records. We looked at the service’s staff personnel records for two members of staff. Additionally, we reviewed three staff members support records. We also looked at the service’s arrangements for the management of complaints, compliments, safeguarding information, medication administration records and the provider’s quality monitoring and audit information.

Updated 16 August 2017

Gallimore Lodge is one of several services managed by Family Mosaic Housing. The service provides accommodation and personal care for up to eight people who have a learning disability and/or physical disability.

At the last inspection on 29 June 2015, the service was rated ‘Good’. At this inspection we found the service remained ‘Good’ and was meeting the fundamental standards. There were seven people using the service at the time of the inspection.

Our key findings across all the areas we inspected were as follows:

• Suitable arrangements were in place to keep people safe. Policies and procedures were followed by staff to safeguard people and staff understood these measures. Risks to people were identified and managed to prevent people from receiving unsafe care and support. The service was appropriately staffed to meet the needs of the people using the service. People received their medication as prescribed and in a safe way. Recruitment procedures were followed to ensure the right staff were employed.

• Staff had a thorough induction to carry out their role and responsibilities effectively. Staff had the right competencies and skills to meet people’s needs and received regular training opportunities. Suitable arrangements were in place for staff to receive regular formal supervision and an annual appraisal of their overall performance. People were supported to have as much choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible. People’s nutritional and hydration needs were met and they were provided with drinks and snacks throughout the day. People received appropriate healthcare support as and when needed from a variety of professional services.

• People were treated with care, kindness, dignity and respect. People received a good level of care and support that met their needs and preferences. Staff had a good knowledge and understanding of people’s specific care and support needs and how they wished to be cared for and supported.

• Support plans were in place to reflect how people would like to receive their care and support, and covered all aspects of a person's individual circumstances. Social activities were available for people to enjoy and experience both ‘in house’ and within the local community. Information about how to make a complaint was available and people’s representatives told us they were confident to raise issues or concerns.

• Suitable arrangements were in place to assess and monitor the quality of the service provided. There was a positive culture within the service that was person-centred, open and inclusive. The service sought people’s and others views about the quality of the service provided.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.