Archived: Kings Lodge

Kings Lodge is a supported living service. It provides support and personal care to people with learning disabilities living in their own home. At the time of our inspection there were four people receiving personal care.

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

The service had safeguarding processes in place but had not done all it could to ensure people's finances were safeguarded. Risk assessments had been completed but were out of date and overdue for review. Medicines were not managed effectively, we have made a recommendation about this. There were sufficient staff working at the service and they had been recruited in a safe manner. Staff understood the need for infection prevention. There was evidence of lessons being learned when things went wrong.

People's needs were assessed before the service began working with them. Staff received induction, supervision and training. People were supported to eat and drink healthily. Staff recorded interactions with people and shared them appropriately with other professionals. People were supported to access healthcare. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff did support them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service did support this practice.

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.

People and relatives told us that staff were kind and caring. There was documentation that promoted people's human rights. People were supported to express their views. People's privacy and dignity were respected and their independence promoted.

Care plans recorded people’s preferences and needs in detail. People were supported to partake in activities they wanted to, including going on holidays abroad. People told us they knew how to complain and would do so if needed. End of life care and support was available if necessary.

Methods for continuously learning and improving care could be improved. People could be further engaged with the service. People and relatives spoke highly of the registered manager. Policies and documentation supporting care at the service was overdue for review or completed incorrectly. The service worked with other professionals and had community links that supported people.

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

Rating at last inspection: This service was previously rated Good (published 15 December 2016).

Why we inspected: This was a planned inspection based on our scheduling of regulated services.

Follow up: We will request an action plan for the provider to understand what they will do to improve the standards of quality and safety. We will work alongside the provider and local authority to monitor progress. We will return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.

At this inspection, we found improvements had been made and that the service now met the required standards.

Kings Lodge is registered to provide personal care to people with learning disabilities in supported living. At the time of our inspection, six people used the service, living in two adjoining units in a large detached house, with three people in each unit.

The service is not required to have a manager registered with CQC in place as it is provided by an individual provider, who is the manager. The provider is the ‘registered person.’ A registered manager 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.

Appropriate arrangements were in place to safeguard people who used the service. Staff had undertaken training in this area and were aware of their responsibility to report any allegations of abuse. Enough staff worked at the service to meet people’s needs and checks were carried out on prospective staff. Risk assessments were robust and provided staff with clear guidance about how to support people safely. Medicines were managed appropriately. People managed their own medicines with staff support.

Staff undertook training and received supervision to support them to carry out their roles effectively. People consented to care and the service operated in line with the Mental Capacity Act 2005. People ate a healthy diet, in order to maintain their health and wellbeing. People were supported by staff to maintain good health and access health care services when required.

The service carried out assessments of people’s needs before they moved in to ascertain if it was able to meet their needs. Care plans were developed and were subject to regular reviews and updated if people’s needs changed.

The service had an open and transparent culture and staff were clear about their roles and the ethos of the service. The provider has ensured that the recommendations we made at the last inspection were met. They have ensured that information provided to staff is relevant and specific to their work at Kings Lodge. People’s personal care and support records were well-organised and information was easy to access.