Archived: The Lodge

We used this inspection to answer our five key questions; is the service safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led?

Below is a summary of what we found. The summary describes what we observed, the records we looked at and what people who used the service and the staff told us.

Is the service safe?

None of the people we spoke with had any concerns about the support they received.

We saw care and treatment was planned and delivered in a way that ensured people's safety and welfare. All of the care plans we looked at had risk assessments in place to help minimise any risk that had been identified.

The provider and staff understood their responsibilities under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). The manager told us that currently no applications for DoLS had been made, however the manager was contacting the local DoLS team for advice on one subject.

Records showed regular checks of the fire alarm and emergency lighting systems were recorded. We also saw that regular fire evacuation exercises were conducted. We saw safety certificates were in date for gas safety, electrical wiring and for portable appliances.

There were arrangements in place to deal with foreseeable emergencies. We saw the service had an agreement with another home operated by Dolphin Homes Limited which was nearby. This would provide initial temporary accommodation if people could not return to the home after an evacuation

Is the service effective?

Each person had a plan of care and support. We saw that support plans explained what the person could do for themselves and what support they needed from staff. Staff told us the care and support plans gave them the information they needed to provide the level of support people required.

We observed staff supporting people and care staff we spoke with were aware of people's needs and the preferences of people they cared for in how people wanted care to be delivered. We saw staff offered advice and support but they enabled people to make their own choices and decisions as much as they were able.

Is the service caring?

We observed staff speaking to people appropriately and they used people's preferred form of address. We saw people and staff got on well together.

We observed that people were happy with the support they received and a relative of one person we spoke with was very happy with the care and support their relative received. They told us that the staff were caring and provided the help, care and support their relative needed.

Is the service responsive?

We saw people had regular reviews of the care and support they received. Review notes showed alterations had been made to people's plans of care as people's needs had changed.

We saw that people were able to participate in a range of activities both in the home and in the local community. Staff told us that they encouraged and supported people to participate in activities to promote and maintain their well-being.

People who used the service, their relatives and staff were asked for their views about how the home was meeting people's needs and any concerns or ways to improve the service were acted on.

Is the service well led?

The Lodge had a policy and procedure for quality assurance and the provider organisation also employed a quality manager who carried out an annual unannounced audit of the service.

The provider organisation also employed an area manager who carried out a monthly visit to the service. This was used to check on progress from the quality manager's audit. The area manager also used this visit to consult with staff and to obtain people's views on how the service was meeting their needs. A report was compiled after each visit and a copy of these reports were kept on file at the home

A relative we spoke with told us that they had regular contact with the home and said that they could speak to the manager or staff at any time. They told us they were kept informed about any issues which affected their relatives.

Staff meetings took place each month and minutes of these meetings were kept. Staff we spoke with confirmed this and said the staff meetings enabled them to discuss issues openly with the manager and the rest of the staff team.

Meetings with people who used the service also took place weekly and these were used to discuss any issues in the home and also to plan activities and menu's for the following week.

The manager told us that all staff received supervision every six to eight weeks where staff performance issues were discussed and additional staff training was identified as necessary. The manager also told us that staff also received annual appraisals. Staff we spoke with confirmed this.

We spoke with the registered manager who told us that the home had a stable staff team and that recruitment was thorough and staff we spoke with confirmed this.

We also spoke with three members of staff. They said that they enjoyed working at the home and that everyone got on well together. Staff said they were well supported and that they were provided with the training and information they needed to support people effectively. They told us that management were supportive and approachable.

We spoke with two of the three people who lived at the home and they said they were happy at the home.

We also spoke to three family members who told us that their relatives were supported by the staff to receive the care they needed. Although family members were generally happy, one of them told us "staff do not always follow communication guidelines for my relative and this can cause some behavioural problems". The family member also told us that when they take their relative home for the weekend there are sometimes problems getting them to return to the home. The family member said that the home was working with them to try and relieve their relatives anxiety about returning to the home after a weekend visit.

Other comments from family members included: 'I can not believe the positive changes that have taken place since my relative moved to The Lodge' and 'The staff always keep me informed of any changes and my relative is very happy at The Lodge'.

The manager told us that staff would always respect people's wishes and involve them as much as possible.