We carried out a review of the data available to us about Jacob's Lodge on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about Jacob's Lodge, you can give feedback on this service.
Jacob’s Lodge is a short break service for adults who have learning disabilities, autistic spectrum disorders and physical disabilities. There were five people using the service when we visited. Care is provided for approximately 42 people each year.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
The service applied the principles and values 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 told us they felt safe when they stayed at the respite centre. There were appropriate policies and systems in place to protect people from abuse. Regular health and safety checks took place and risk assessments were in place to protect people and there were effective systems in place to reduce the risk and spread of infection. People received their medicines safely in line with their preferences and by staff who knew them well and people told us they liked the food and had enough to eat and drink. We saw people being offered drinks and food and were given choices.
There were sufficient staffing levels to support people and the provider had safe recruitment processes in place. All staff received a range of face to face training, e-learning and observed supervisions and competencies to ensure they had the necessary knowledge and skills to do their jobs. There were robust systems in place to manage incidents and implement actions to prevent a reoccurrence.
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's needs had been assessed before they were offered a place at the service and they had implemented a comprehensive holistic pre-assessment pack for people.
Interactions between people and staff were kind, caring, positive and warm. We observed how staff were inclusive and ensured people were supported to be involved in conversations. We saw people being supported using their preferred communication methods and staff demonstrated an awareness and understanding of people's needs. People were supported to be involved in making decisions about their care. Staff respected people's privacy, listened to people and respected their choices.
People had personalised support plans in place which covered all aspects of people’s daily living, care and support needs. We observed people being supported with personalised activities by staff using warm and kind approaches. We saw evidence of how responsive Jacob’s Lodge was in supporting people for emergency respite stays. Jacob’s Lodge understood different people use alternative ways to communicate and had made their service accessible and inclusive. The provider had a complaints procedure in place and the registered manager was keen to rectify any issues and improve the quality of the service.
The feedback we received from people and relatives was positive, expressing confidence in the management and care delivery of the service. The providers visions and values focused on person-centeredness, being passionate about making a difference to people's lives and ensuring positive outcomes for people and the registered manager promoted an inclusive, value based and positive culture. The management team sought, and listened to, people's, their relatives and staff member’s views, ideas and suggestions. There was an emphasis on shared learning and development within the service.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
The last rating for this service was Good (published 7 September 2017).
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.
The home had a registered manager who has been registered since January 2016. 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.
We found staff were not always following legislation designed to protect people’s rights. There were concerns about people's capacity to consent to decisions about their care; the provider did not take appropriate guidance when making decisions in people's best interest.
People felt safe staying at Jacob’s Lodge and risks to people were minimized through risk assessments. There were plans in place for foreseeable emergencies.
Relevant recruitment checks were conducted before staff started working at Jacob’s lodge to make sure they were of good character and had the necessary skills. Staff had received training in safeguarding adults and knew how to identify, prevent and report abuse. There were enough staff to keep people safe.
People were supported to take their medicines safely from suitably trained staff. Medication administration records (MAR) confirmed people had received their medicines as prescribed.
People received varied meals including a choice of fresh food and drinks. Staff were aware of people’s likes and dislikes and went out of their way to provide people with what they wanted.
Staff received regular support and one to one sessions or supervision to discuss areas of development. They completed a wide range of training and felt it supported them in their job role.
People were cared for with kindness and compassion. Care plans provided comprehensive information about how people wished to receive care and support. This helped ensure people received personalised care in a way that met their individual needs.
People were supported and encouraged to make choices and had access to a range of activities. Staff knew what was important to people and encouraged them to be as independent as possible.
A complaints procedure was in place. There were appropriate management arrangements in place. Regular audits of the service were carried out to assess and monitor the quality of the service.