All inspections: Maldon Lodge - Care Quality Commission

We carried out this unannounced inspection on 26 January 2015.

Maldon Lodge is a care home providing accommodation for up to seven people who require personal care. Maldon Lodge provides a service for people who may have mental health needs.

The service had a registered manager in place.

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.

Staff working at the service understood the needs of the people.

Staff were appropriately trained and skilled to provide care in a safe environment. There was an induction procedure in place and on the day of our inspection training was being provided to some staff at another location. The manager had arranged for sufficient staff to be on duty at the service in order that the planned training could go ahead.

The manager assessed and monitored the quality of care consistently. The provider encouraged feedback from the people living at the service which were considered to make improvements to the service. The manager had correctly assessed people and recorded information with regard to the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and there were no Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards in place.

We talked with five people who used the service to gain their views and experiences. They told us their needs were met and staff treated them well. One person told us, 'They (staff) are very kind and good. They are friendly and trustworthy. I feel safe and happy here.' Another person told us about the provider's involvement with the service, 'The owners are always popping in and checking everything is ok. They are like family to me. They are good people and nothing is ever too much trouble.'

All five people told us that they were satisfied with the service provided. One person said, 'I have no complaints. Everything is just fine and dandy.'

People confirmed they were consulted about the care and support that they were provided with and understood the care and treatment choices available to them. One person told us, 'They (staff) are good. They explain things to me so I don't get muddled and I know what is going on.'

We looked at three people's care records which provided information for staff on how to meet people's individual health and care needs. We saw that people's choices and preferences were reflected in the care records and written in a way that promoted independence.

The care records showed that people's needs were assessed and care and treatment was planned in line with their individual care plan. We saw evidence in the care records that people received safe and coordinated care, treatment and support where more than one provider was involved.

We spoke with five people about the quality of the food. Feedback was positive. People said they were given a variety of meals that were, 'Tasty,' and, 'Appetising.' One person said, 'The food is filling and yummy. I enjoy what we have. If I don't fancy what is on the menu they (staff) will fix me something else.'

We saw that the service provided enough qualified, skilled and experienced staff to meet people's needs. We looked at staff records and spoke with three members of staff who told us they were being appropriately supervised and supported. Staff we spoke with were knowledgeable about the people they supported and how to meet their needs.

We saw that the provider had systems and procedures in place to regularly monitor and assess the quality of the service provided.

During our inspection we observed that the interaction between staff and people using the service was friendly, respectful and professional. We saw that staff sought people's agreement before providing any support or assistance.

We gathered evidence of people's experiences of the service by talking with people, observing how they spent their time and noting how they interacted with other people living in the home and with staff.

During our inspection we spoke with five people and they told us that they liked living at the home. We saw that people smiled and appeared relaxed and comfortable with staff and other people living in the home.

One person living in the home said, 'We're all happy here.'

Archived: Maldon Lodge

All Inspections

26 Janaury 2015

During a routine inspection

14 October 2013

During a routine inspection

12 October 2012

During a routine inspection