Fenham Lodge

Updated 4 March 2020

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

The inspection team consisted of one inspector.

Service and service type

Fenham Lodge is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report.

During the inspection

We spoke with four people who used the service and six relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with six members of staff including the provider, registered manager, and care workers. We observed people who used the service and their interaction with each other and staff.

We reviewed a range of records. This included three people’s care records and medication records. We looked at four staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at training data and quality assurance records. We spoke with five professionals who regularly visit the service.

Updated 4 March 2020

About the service

Fenham Lodge is a residential care home providing personal care for up to seven people with a learning disability. There were seven people living at the service at the time of inspection. The service is a large single-story building with seven single bedrooms, a communal lounge, kitchen, laundry and bathroom facilities. There is a garden to the front and rear. The two-bedroom extension is self-contained with a kitchen and bathroom for those who would benefit from more independent living.

The service has been developed and designed in line with the principles and values that underpin Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. This ensures that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes. The principles reflect the need for people with learning disabilities and/or autism to live meaningful lives that include control, choice, and independence. People using the service receive planned and co-ordinated person-centred support that is appropriate and inclusive for them.

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

Without exception, everyone spoken with told us staff were kind, caring and compassionate. The provider was passionate about providing care that met the needs of all people. The provider promoted a caring culture that weaved throughout the whole service with people being at the heart and with an ethos of ‘putting people first’.

Care plans demonstrated person-centred care and people were very much involved in their care planning and choice in how they spent their time. People and relatives described the service as ‘home from home’. Relatives told us they felt their family members were safe and praised the care and support they were receiving. They told us the service was amazing, care was outstanding and were highly complimentary about the management and staff.

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.

The service applied the principles and value 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 were empowered to live the best life they could. Achieving own aims and goals was very much at the centre of the service. Some people held jobs which provided them with independence and a sense of purpose and achievement. Another volunteered at the local horse-riding stables and assisted people with a disability to enjoy horse-riding. People attended college to pursue various courses. Activities to enable self-development and socialisation to provide inclusiveness, were a fundamental part of the service and they worked closely with the local community, enabling people to become involved in social events. People had opportunities to attend holidays, both with their families and the service.

Sport and music were appreciated by all people and the professionals who work closely with the home told us how engaged the staff were in assisting people to achieve the most from all activities. Staff recognised individual’s communication requirements and we observed staff interacting with people in a meaningful way.

People appeared happy and confident. They were excited to show us their rooms which were personalised to meet their individual personality. The evening mealtime was a social event which people and staff shared. We observed laughter and conversation and there was a genuine interest as everyone shared events of their day.

Safe staff recruitment processes were followed, and staff received training and supervision. People enjoyed the continuity of regular staff. Medicines were administered as prescribed and staff followed infection control procedures. There was regular oversight of the service to ensure quality audits were undertaken, analysed and action taken where required.

The provider and registered manager worked in harmony together and staff were respectful of the management team, acknowledging they were approachable and that they had confidence in them.

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

Rating at last inspection: Good (published 9 August 2017)

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.