Archived: Victoria Lodge

Updated 17 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 on 10 December 2015 and was unannounced. The inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Before the inspection we reviewed the information we held about the service. This included notifications regarding safeguarding, accidents and complaints made about the service. A notification is information about important events which the service is required to send us by law. We reviewed the Provider Information Record (PIR). The PIR is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to decide which areas to focus on during our inspection.

We looked around the premises, spent time with people in their rooms and in communal areas. We looked at records which related to people’s individual care. We looked at three care records, four recruitment records, the staff rota, notifications and records of meetings.

The majority of people were out of the home at the time of the inspection. We spoke with one person who received a service, we met with the registered manager and we spoke with one member of care staff. We also had feedback from a community nurse and a social worker.

The service was last inspected in August 2013 and there were no concerns.

Updated 17 March 2016

This inspection took place on 10 December 2015 and was unannounced.

Victoria Lodge is a large terraced residential registered with accommodation on two floors. Victoria lodge is registered to provide personal care and accommodation for up to seven people with a learning disability. At the time of our visit there were 3 people residing there.

There was a registered manager in post at the time of our inspection. 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.

We found that people's care needs were assessed and planned for and that staff provided support safely and with consideration for the individuals concerned.

Staff were confident about how to protect people from harm and what they would do if they had any safeguarding concerns.

There were systems in place to make sure that people were supported to take medicines safely and as prescribed. The registered manager had not completed medication audits inline with the company policy.

Risks to people had been assessed and plans put in place to keep risks to a minimum. There were enough staff on duty to make sure people’s needs were met.

Recruitment procedures made sure staff had the required skills and were of suitable character and background. Staff told us they enjoyed working at the service and that there was good team work.

Staff were supported through training, regular supervisions and team meetings to help them carry out their roles effectively. Staff were supported by an open and accessible management team.

The registered manager and staff were aware of the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). DoLS are put in place to protect people where their freedom of movement is restricted. The registered manager had taken appropriate action and people were not restricted unnecessarily. Best interest meetings were held where people had limited capacity to make decisions for themselves.

We observed that people’s privacy and dignity respected. Care plans were person centred and showed that individual preferences were taken into account. Care plans gave clear directions to staff about the support people required to have their needs met. People were supported to maintain their health and had access to health services if needed. People’s needs were regularly reviewed and appropriate changes were made to their supportif required.

People’s views were sought and they were encouraged to be involved in the running of the registered and were empowered to be as independent as possible. Staff knew what was important to people and people received care that was individual to them, according to their needs and wishes.

We found there to be an open and transparent culture. Staff felt supported in their roles. Regular checks and audits took place to try to continually improve the service.