Archived: Laetus Lodge

At the last inspection, the service was rated Good.

At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

There was a manager at the service who was applying for the post of registered manager. 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.

People told us that staff were friendly and they liked living at the home. People led independent lives and were supported by staff to make breakfast, snacks and get involved in doing things for themselves around the home. Some people lived in their own flats.

People are 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 were able to access and take part in a number of activities in the community, for example going to the gym, gardening and shopping.

People were supported by staff to take their medicines. Medicine charts were completed appropriately and regular audits took place to ensure that people received their medicines in a safe manner. People’s healthcare needs were met by the provider.

Staff recruitment procedures were robust and staff were provided with regular training and supervision. We found there were enough staff on shift to meet people’s needs. Some people needed staff support when going out into the community and they were enough staff to meet their needs.

The provider had recently changed their risk assessments and care plans to make them more detailed and person centred. Risk to people were effectively captured and the steps that staff needed to take to manage and minimise the risk were recorded. Staff were familiar with the risk to people and how they would support them.

The provider recorded both informal and formal complaints and took action to resolve them to the satisfaction of the complainants. Regular meetings were held where people were able to have a say into how they were feeling and their experience in the home.

Staff told us they felt supported and enjoyed working at the home. A number of quality assurance checks and audits took place which the provider used to monitor the quality of service and make improvements. These included monthly checks on the records, including care plans, medicine charts and risk assessments.

We looked at two care plans during our visit. These were person centered and reviewed regularly. We saw evidence that other healthcare professionals had contributed to the care plans.

Staff told us they received regular supervision every two months from the manager and records seen confirmed this. Comments from people who use the service included "the staff are good here" and "the staff look after me". Staff spoken to told us that they attended mandatory training including safeguarding, medication, autism and working with challenging behaviour. Certificates of training were seen on three staff files we looked at.

We looked at a number of records during our visit, including care plans, staff files, health and safety records and training certificates. Records were kept securely and could be located promptly when needed. Confidential records were kept in a locked cabinet in the manager's office. Financial records and medication were kept in separate locked cupboards.

We looked at five care plans of people using the service. We saw evidence that people had given their consent and agreed to the treatment and support that was provided to them. We spoke with a community support worker who told us that "people are encouraged to get involved in their care plans".

The support plans and risk assessments were reviewed once a year. Care plan review meetings were multi disciplinary team meetings. We spoke with a staff member who told us "if any concerns are identified then we work together as part of a network".

The building was well maintained and well lit. All corridors, reception area and stairs were clean and free from storage or trip hazards. Regular checks were carried out to make sure the premises were safe.

Staff files contained the original application forms and copies of any qualification certificates of people. We also saw written references from previous employers.

Some of the records relating to staff files and management of the service were incomplete and could not be located during our visit.