Archived: Cedar Lodge

Updated 25 August 2016

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

This inspection took place on 14 June 2016 and was unannounced.

The inspection team consisted of an inspector and an expert by experience. An expert-by-experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service. In this case the person had experience of caring for someone with a learning disability.

Before the inspection, we reviewed the information we held about the service. This included the Provider Information Return (PIR) The PIR is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We also contacted commissioners for feedback before the inspection and viewed notifications sent to us by the provider. Notifications are events or incidents that the provider must tell us about under the terms of their registration.

In order to gather information during the inspection we spoke to three people who used the service, two relatives and five staff including the registered manager. We also met with the registered manager and the provider to discuss the leadership and management of the service. We observed interaction between staff and people using the service and we viewed various records, including: care plans, staff files, rotas, training records, questionnaires, meeting minutes and action plans.

Updated 25 August 2016

This inspection took place on 14 June 2016 and was unannounced, which meant the provider did not know we were coming.

Cedar Lodge cares for people with a learning disability and is registered for 10 people. There was a registered manager in post. 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.

People were cared for by staff who understood their responsibilities to keep people safe from harm. There were risk assessments in place which were reviewed regularly and helped ensure people were protected from identified risks. There were sufficient numbers of staff on duty to meet the needs of people using the service. Staff who administered medicines were suitably trained and their competency checked, to ensure they had the knowledge and skills to manage medicines safely.

Staff received relevant training for their job role and had frequent supervisions and appraisals with the managers. Training was arranged in response to the particular needs of people using the service; and ensured that staff had the knowledge and skills to fulfil their responsibilities to people. Staff gained consent from people before offering care and explained what they were doing in ways that people understood. People were involved in planning their meals, which included shopping and preparing meals or setting tables. People were supported to access community healthcare services to manage their overall health.

People were cared for by caring and compassionate staff who enjoyed their work. Staff spent time getting to know people and their personal characteristics. They developed positive and supportive relationships with people whilst promoting independence and dignity. People contributed to their care plans and made decisions about their daily activities. The provider welcomed feedback and comments from people who used the service along with their family and health and social care practitioners who were involved with the care of people. The service had not received any formal complaints but had systems in place to respond to comments and suggestions and provided examples of how this had improved the service.

The service was well led and managed by the registered manager; who was supported by a senior management team and the provider. There was an open and inclusive culture within the organisation where people and staff felt supported and heard. People and staff were involved in the development of the service and the registered manager used feedback when developing the improvement plan.