Westhope Lodge

Updated 14 September 2019

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 home was inspected by one inspector.

Service and service type

Westhope Lodge is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as 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

We gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that someone would be in the office to support the inspection.

What we did before the inspection

We used information the provider sent us in the Provider Information Return (PIR). Providers are required to send us key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We reviewed notifications sent to CQC about important events at the service and information sent to us from other stakeholders for example the local authority and members of the public.

What we did during the inspection

We spoke with three people who used the service and two of their relatives, the registered manager, and two members of support staff. We pathway tracked the care of three people. Pathway tracking is where we check that the care detailed in individual plans matches the experience of the person receiving care. We completed observations in communal areas. Where people were unable to answer direct questions, we observed their engagement in daily tasks. We reviewed records including accident and incident logs, quality assurance records, compliments and complaints, policies and procedures and three staff recruitment records.

What we did after the inspection

We spoke with two health and social care professionals to gain their views of the service people received and have incorporated this feedback into this report.

Updated 14 September 2019

About the service

Westhope Lodge is a residential care home providing accommodation and personal care for nine people living with a learning disability and/or autism, at the time of the inspection. The service is registered to provide accommodation and personal care for up to nine people in one adapted building.

The service has been developed 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.

The service was a large home, bigger than most domestic style properties. It was registered for the support of up to nine people. This is larger than current best practice guidance. However. the size of the service having a negative impact on people was mitigated by the building design fitting into the residential area. There were deliberately no identifying signs, cameras, industrial bins or anything else outside to indicate it was a care home. Staff were also discouraged from wearing anything that suggested they were care staff when coming and going with people.

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

People received exceptionally kind and compassionate care. Staff showed real empathy to the people they supported. It was evident that people felt respected and valued through their interactions with staff. One person told us they loved living at the home and staff were, “kind” and “funny.”

People’s views and choices were at the centre of how people were supported. Staff took time to understand how people wanted their care to be delivered and respected their wishes without fail. People’s independence was consistently promoted by staff who empowered people to achieve good outcomes.

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. A healthcare professional told us, “I would say they go over and above a ‘duty of care’. its heart-warming to see the difference it has made when people listen to the people in their care.”

People were safe, and staff understood how to manage risks to people. People’s medicines were managed safely, and people lived in a clean and hygienic environment.

People had access to a range of activities that met their individual interests. People were active in their local community and were supported to maintain relationships that were important to them.

The home was well-led. People, their relatives and staff were very complimentary of the registered manager. There was a positive atmosphere at the home. One member of staff told us, “We have such a lovely house, we joke together and have a real family ethos. We all care about each other as family.” There were quality assurance processes in place to continually improve the quality of the care people received. Staff worked well with other professionals to meet people’s needs.

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.

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 15 December 2016).

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.