167 Lodge Hill

Updated 16 October 2019

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

This inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Service and service type

167 Lodge Hill 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. There was no registered manager in post, the service was being managed by an experienced registered manager of another of the providers services.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the 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 spoke with two relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with four members of staff including a home manager, deputy manager and two support workers. 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 reviewed a range of records. This included three people’s care records, including risk management plans and medicines records. We reviewed a summary of staff recruitment records and staff training and supervision records. We also reviewed a variety of records relating for the management of the service, including policies and procedures.

After the inspection –

We received feedback from two healthcare professionals we contacted for their views about the service.

Updated 16 October 2019

About the service

167 Lodge Hill is a residential care home providing personal care and support to five people with physical and learning disabilities with complex communication and visual impairment needs. The home is a purpose-built bungalow with six bedrooms all set on the same floor. The service can support up to six people.

The service has been developed and designed in line with the principles and values that underpin Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. This ensures that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes. 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 receive planned and co-ordinated person-centred support that is appropriate and inclusive for them.

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

Relatives were complimentary about the service and told us their loved one’s care need were met. However, the home environment required improvement to ensure the safety and cleanliness was brought up to the required standards.

Relatives told us people were safe using the service. Staff understood their responsibility to protect people in their care from abuse and report any concerns they had. People were supported to take their medicines safely. There were enough staff available to support people's needs.

Before people started using the service, their needs were assessed to ensure they could be met. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. People received care and support from staff that had the knowledge and skills to meet their individual needs. People were supported to eat healthily, and they had access healthcare services when required.

People were supported by staff that were kind and caring towards them, respected their privacy and dignity and where capable, promoted their independence. Staff were caring towards people’s diverse needs and supported people without discrimination. People's communication needs had been assessed and met. People were supported to participate in activities that interested them, and relatives knew how to complain if they were unhappy.

The service had an effective system in place to assess and monitor the quality of the care delivery and had worked in partnership with key organisations to plan and deliver an effective service. People and their relatives' views had been sought and their feedback had been used to improve the quality of care and support provided.

The service applied the principles and values of Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These ensure that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes that include control, choice and independence.

The outcomes for people using the service reflected the principles and values of Registering the Right Support by promoting choice and control, independence and inclusion. People's support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible for them to gain new skills and become more independent.

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 25 January 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.