We carried out a review of the data available to us about Colin Garden Lodge on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about Colin Garden Lodge, you can give feedback on this service.
Colin Garden Lodge is a residential care home registered to provide accommodation and personal care for up to three people in one adapted building. There were two people using the service at the time of this inspection. The service specialises in the care and support of people with learning disabilities.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
We received positive feedback from people and their relatives. Relatives had no concerns around the safety of their loved ones living at the home. There was a suitable and consistent team of staff who maintained good relationships with people. The home had systems in place to manage people’s risks and to ensure they receive their medicines as they should. Staff were well aware of the risks related to COVID-19 and had measures in place to prevent the spread of infection.
The service had effective training systems in place to ensure staff were competent and skilled to provide care centred on people’s assessed needs and preferences. The home was well decorated and people were supported by staff to express their preferences. People were also able to choose what they would like to eat and drink. Staff supported people to maintain healthy lifestyles and have regular access to appropriate healthcare.
There was a pleasant atmosphere in the home where people and staff felt included and valued. Relatives felt the home was well managed and staff told us they received all the support they required to do their work. The manager and staff were clear about their roles and responsibilities.
People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.
We expect health and social care providers to guarantee autistic people and people with a learning disability the choices, dignity, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. Right Support, right care, right culture is the statutory guidance which supports CQC to make assessments and judgements about services providing support to people with a learning disability and/or autistic people.
Based on our review of safe, effective and well-led, the service was able to demonstrate how they were meeting the underpinning principles of Right support, right care, right culture.
People were comfortable to express their views and make choices in their day to day lives. They were involved in making decisions about their care and staff supported them to be as independent as they could. Staff built positive relationships with people and provided them with individualised care while respecting their dignity, privacy and human rights. Management ensured staff were given the right support to promote a culture where people felt safe and able to live meaningful lives.
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 5 November 2018).
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating where we focused on the key questions Safe, Effective and Well-led. We reviewed the information we held about the service. No areas of concern were identified in the other key questions. We therefore did not inspect them. Ratings from previous comprehensive inspections for those key questions were used in calculating the overall rating at this inspection.
The overall rating for the service has remained the same. This is based on the findings at this inspection.
We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the Safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.
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.
The service is registered to provide accommodation and personal care for up to three people. There were three people using the service at the time of this inspection. The service specialises in the care and support of people with learning and physical disabilities.
The care service has been developed and designed in line with the values that underpin the Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These values include choice, promotion of independence and inclusion. People with learning disabilities and autism using the service can live as ordinary a life as any citizen.
The service has a registered manager, which is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission 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.
At our last inspection in January 2016 we rated the service good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.
People, their relatives and community professionals all praised the service and its staff and manager. We found people were treated with kindness, respect and compassion, and that they were given emotional support when needed.
The service empowered people to express their views and make decisions about their care and support. Risks to people were managed appropriately, balancing people’s autonomy with safety considerations. The service was following the principles of the Mental Capacity Act in terms of assessing and following-up on people’s capacity to consent to decisions.
The service supported people to follow their interests in the community and in-house, and was exploring new activities for people to try. It supported people to develop and maintain relationships that mattered to them, and to follow their faiths.
There were positive relationships between people and members of staff, and there was a small team of staff who consistently worked at the service. This helped build trusting relationships and meant staff understood people’s needs, preferences and communications better.
The service promoted a positive and inclusive culture that aimed to achieve good outcomes for people. It worked in co-operation with other organisations to deliver effective care and support, including for people’s health, medicine and nutritional needs.
The premises was small but clean and reasonably decorated, with some adaptations to support people’s individual needs.
Staff received the training and support they needed to meet people's needs.
Quality assurance systems were in place to help drive improvements at the service. This included through engagement with people using the service, their representatives and staff.
There was a registered manager in post at the service. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Commission 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 content and well supported in the home, with good relationships with staff members who knew them well, and understood their needs. People, and their family members where relevant, had been included in planning the care provided and they had individual plans detailing the support they needed. We found that people had access to a range of activities within and outside of the home.
The service had an appropriate recruitment system to assess the suitability of new staff. We found that staff were sensitive to people’s needs and choices, supported people to develop or maintain their independence skills, and helped them work towards goals of their choosing, such as planning a holiday.
People were treated with respect and compassion. They were supported to attend routine health checks and their health needs were monitored within the home. The home was well stocked with fresh foods, and people’s nutritional needs were met effectively.
People were supported to make choices about their care and lifestyles. Where they were unable to give their consent, systems were in place to ensure that they were supported in line with the Mental Capacity Act 2005.
Staff in the service knew how to recognise and report abuse, and what action to take if they were concerned about somebody’s safety or welfare. Staff were positive about the standard of training provided by the organisation and displayed an understanding of how to support people in line with best practice.
There were systems in place to monitor the safety and quality of the home environment and appropriate systems were in place for managing people’s medicines and finances safely. There was a complaints procedure in place for the home which was followed when needed.