Hope Lodge

Hope Lodge is a small care home providing care and support to up to 3 people with mental health conditions. At the time of our inspection, there were 3 people using the service accommodated in individual en suite rooms.

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

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee autistic people and people with a learning disability the choices, dignity, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. Right support, right care, right culture is the statutory guidance which supports CQC to make assessments and judgements about services providing support to people with a learning disability and/or autistic people. We considered this guidance as there were people using the service who have a learning disability and or who are autistic.

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.

People and their relatives told us Hope Lodge was safe. We found risks to people's health and wellbeing were identified and effective measures were in place to mitigate these.

People's medicines were managed safely. People were protected from the risk of infections as the home was clean and hygienic.

The provider recruited staff safely and there were enough staff on duty to keep people safe and respond to people's needs. People received support from staff who had the knowledge and skills to meet their needs. Staff worked well with other health and social care professionals to ensure people's physical and mental healthcare was supported.

The provider had recently renovated the décor and layout of the premises including the garden to promote people's comfort.

People were treated with kindness and received person-centred care from well trained staff that knew them well. People were engaged in a range of activities and the provider ensured they had opportunities for social stimulation and community engagement.

We received positive feedback from people receiving care, relatives, staff and professionals about the management and culture of the service. One person receiving care said, "I am very happy here. The format [of this service] should be taken to other homes for them to emulate". A member of staff told us, "I am proud of working with this client group because I am learning to be open to every situation".

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

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was Good (published 02 March 2018). At this inspection we found the provider maintained the good rating.

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted partly due to concerns received regarding risk management. A decision was made for us to inspect and examine those risks.

We found no evidence during this inspection that people were at risk of harm from this concern. Please see the safe and well-led sections of this full report.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform us when we next inspect.

We found the following examples of good practice.

The premises were clean and tidy. Staff had attended infection prevention and control [IPC] training and knew how to reduce the risk of spreading infections. Staff knew where to go for advice to manage the impact of the pandemic. Personal protective equipment [PPE] was available to staff and they knew where and how to obtain this. Regular COVID-19 tests were undertaken including when visitors came to the service. Staff followed latest government guidance to manage the impact of the pandemic. The service worked well with local healthcare professionals in sharing information and communicating information about matters related to IPC. Regular audits were undertaken to ensure any gaps were identified and actions taken to mitigate the risk of cross infections. Relatives were positive about the way the service managed the impact of the pandemic.

At the last inspection on 20 November 2015, the service was rated ‘Good’. At this inspection on 10 January 2018, we found the service remained ‘Good’.

The home had a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the home. Like registered providers, they are 'registered persons'. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the legal requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and the associated regulations on how the home is run.

People continued to receive safe care. There were enough staff on duty to support people. Risks were identified and actions were taken to minimise these risks to support people as safely as possible. Staff knew how to keep people safe. People received their prescribed medicines safely and when needed. The provider’s recruitment process ensured that staff were suitable to work with people who needed support. People lived in a clean, safe environment that was suitable for their needs.

People continued to be supported by experienced staff who received training and support to enable them to perform their roles effectively. People’s nutritional needs were being met. The staff team worked closely with other professionals to ensure that people remained as healthy as possible and received the healthcare they needed.

People were 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 continued to receive care and support that was responsive to their complex needs.

People continued to be supported by caring staff who treated them with respect. Their privacy and dignity were maintained. People were supported and encouraged to develop and maintain their independence skills and to keep in contact with their relatives.

Management systems ensured the service continued to be well led. The management team monitored the quality of service provided to ensure that people received safe and effective care and support that met their needs.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.