All inspections: Hunters Lodge - Care Quality Commission

We carried out our inspection on 8th October 2015. The inspection was unannounced.

The service provides accommodation for up to 17 people living with a learning disability and similar disabilities. There were 14 people using the service at the time of our inspection.

The service has a 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 felt safe at Hunters Lodge.Staff had a good understanding of the provider’s procedures for keeping people safe, and were able to put the safeguarding procedures into practice when supporting people. Staff told us that they would firstly report any concerns to the managers. The managers had always referred concerns onto the relevant authorities.

Staffing levels were based on people’s assessed dependencies and needs. Enough staff were on duty to ensure that people needs were met safely.

People received their medicines as prescribed. The provider had effective protocols for their safe management .

Many of the staff were relatively new to the service. They had either completed or nearly completed their induction training which included training about important subjects such as supporting people safely and understanding their needs. The provider had a training plan that was aimed at ensuring staff received training that enabled them to support people. Staff felt supported through the delivery of the training program and individual support from the managers.

The registered manager and deputy manager had a good understanding of the relevance of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards to their work.

Staff supported people to have enough to eat and drink and to have a healthy balanced diet.

People were supported with their healthcare needs and were supported to access healthcare services when they needed them.

Relatives that we spoke with told us very positive things about the caring attitude of the staff.

Staff respected people’s privacy and dignity, and were knowledgeable about ways to ensure that people’s privacy and dignity were protected. Staff were keen to offer people a good service and committed to improving the quality of people’s lives. They were knowledgeable about the people they cared for and knew how best to meet their needs.

People and their relatives were involved in the assessment of their needs and in the review of their care plans.

The provider had effective procedures for monitoring and assessing the quality of service that promoted continuous improvement. A major part of this was the annual survey of people using the service and relatives.

We talked to people who lived in the home and they told us about activities they were doing. We saw that care staff responded well to the needs of the people who lived in the home, by supporting them to make obtain drinks or assisting them in any activity.

Staff told us they felt supported and one member of staff we spoke to told us, 'The home runs smoothly and I am happy here.' We saw that staff were encouraged and supported in obtaining qualifications and developing their knowledge. This meant they were better able to understand how the needs of the people who lived in the home were changing over time.

The home had clear policies and procedures in place and we saw that due attention was given to formal administrative processes such as recording keeping and information management.

The Manager and the Provider had designed and introduced a quality assurance programme to evaluate and monitor the home's performance.

We used a number of different methods to help us understand the experiences of people who used the service. During our visit we observed staff interacting with people who lived in the home and noted how people chose to spend their time. We looked at care records and saw that people's needs and preferences were recorded.

Some of the people using the service had complex needs which meant they were not able to tell us their experiences. We spoke to a person who lived in the home. They told us they were very happy and, 'the staff are good', and told us about the holidays they had been on, which had been arranged by the staff.

We spoke to the relative of a person using the service who told us that staff were professional and caring. He told us he was very confident about the behaviour of the staff and the way in which the people in the home were treated with respect. He told us 'the staff are absolutely fantastic.'

We observed people in communal areas and saw that people who used the service were able to do the things they wanted to do and were relaxed. We saw people hade made a hot drink and another helped with washing up. We saw people playing chess and watching television, whilst others had gone out for the day. We saw staff interacting with people who used the service, staff were kind and respectful at all times. We spoke with staff. Staff knew how to meet people's needs and how to keep them safe.

We spoke with five people who used the service. They told us they were very happy and had confidence in the staff and manager at the home. People were seen doing activities in their bedrooms, watching television and preparing to go out for the evening. People were making hot drinks for themselves, talking together and with staff.

'I go to football matches with (the manager of the home) and then we go for a beer.'

'I like fish and chips on Friday from the chip shop.'

'I like my bedroom and can go to bed when I want. I would like a name card on my bedroom door.'

These older reports are from our old approaches to inspection, including those from before CQC was created.

Archived: Hunters Lodge

All Inspections

8th October 2015

During a routine inspection

26 April 2013

During a routine inspection

22 November 2012

During a routine inspection

9 February 2012

During a routine inspection

Reports under our old system of regulation