We carried out a review of the data available to us about Amberwood 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 Amberwood Lodge, you can give feedback on this service.
About the service
Amberwood Lodge is a residential care home providing personal care to nine young people aged 18 and over at the time of the inspection. The service can support up to nine people and has two communal open plan kitchen dining areas, a communal lounge, sensory room and activities room.
The service has been developed and designed 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.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People told us they were happy, felt safe. Relatives said that staff had a good understanding of their loved ones needs and preferences. Risks had been identified and measures put in place to keep people safe from harm. Medicines were managed safely and administered by trained staff.
Staff listened to what people wanted and acted quickly to support them to achieve their goals and outcomes. Staff looked to offer people solutions to aid their independence and develop their skills.
Staff were well trained and skilled. They worked with people to overcome challenges and promote their independence. The emphasis of support was towards inclusion and enabling people to learn essential life skills. Equality, Diversity and Human Rights (EDHR) were promoted and understood by staff.
People, professionals and their families described the staff as caring, kind and friendly and the atmosphere of the home as relaxed and engaging. 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 received pre-admission assessments and effective person-centred support. The service was responsive to people’s current and changing needs. Regular reviews took place which ensured people were at the centre of their support.
A new registered manager had been recruited since the last inspection. Leadership was visible and promoted good teamwork. People, professionals and staff spoke highly about the management and staff had a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities. The registered manager, deputy manager, team managers and staff team worked together in a positive way to support people to achieve their own goals and to be safe.
Checks of safety and quality were made to ensure people were protected. Work to continuously improve the service was noted and the registered manager was keen to make changes that would impact positively on people's lives.
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 17 January 2018).
Why we inspected
The inspection was prompted in part due to concerns received about a high number of safeguarding alerts and use of physical interventions. 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 these concerns. 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 until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.
Amberwood Lodge is a care home for adults with autism and associated learning disabilities. Nursing care is not provided. 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.
Amberwood Lodge accommodates up to nine people in individual bedrooms within a single building. Nine people were living there at the time of our inspection.
The care service was registered prior to the publication of Registering the Right Support. All but one person had lived there for a number of years. Some people had come from Poole and surrounding areas, whereas others had moved from elsewhere in the south of England and the Channel Islands. They were all supported to maintain regular contact with their families. The service reflects most of the values that underpin the Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These values include choice, promotion of independence and inclusion. People with learning disabilities and autism using the service can live as ordinary a life as any citizen.
There was a registered manager, who had been in post for several years. 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.
The service had an informal, friendly, homely feel. People were supported with kindness and compassion by staff who knew them well and understood the care they needed.
People’s needs and choices were assessed and support was delivered in line with current guidance. Their independence was promoted.
Activities at home and in the community were based on people’s individual interests and needs and were encouraged on a daily basis. People were encouraged and supported to develop and maintain relationships with people who mattered to them.
Staff made sure people were included in everything and were not barred by conditions such as epilepsy. Where necessary, activities were adjusted so everyone had an opportunity to take part if they wished.
People’s rights were protected because the staff acted in accordance with the Mental Capacity Act 2005. The registered manager had identified a number of people who they believed were being deprived of their liberty, as the front door and gates to the service were kept locked and people were unable to leave unsupervised for their own safety. The registered manager had made the necessary Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards applications. There was a system for tracking expiry dates and any conditions on DoLS authorisations.
Choice was encouraged and people’s preferences were respected. People were involved in decisions about their care and about how the service was run. Staff understood people’s individual communication skills, abilities and preferences and supported them to express their views. Accessible information was provided to support people in making choices.
An independent advocate visited the service each month.
People were protected against the risk of abuse and avoidable harm. The service followed safe recruitment practices that helped ensure only staff who were of good character and suitable to work in care were employed. The premises and equipment were well maintained and kept clean. Staff knew how to blow the whistle and expressed confidence that the management team would act if they raised any concerns.
Risks to people’s personal safety had been assessed and plans were in place to manage these in the least restrictive way possible. Where people could behave in a way that challenged, they had an individualised positive behaviour support plan.
Accidents, incidents and near misses were recorded and monitored to look for developing trends.
Peoples’ medicines were managed and administered safely.
People were supported by sufficient staff with the right skills and knowledge to meet their individual needs. Staff had the support they needed to perform their roles, including training and supervision.
Varied menus with healthy options were designed to accommodate people’s individual preferences and cultural and dietary needs.
People’s health care needs were monitored and any changes in their health or well-being prompted a referral to their GP or other health care professionals.
The provider’s own team of health professionals visited the service regularly. We have made a recommendation regarding liaising and working with community learning disability services.
Quality assurance systems were in place to monitor the quality of the service. There was regular oversight from the provider’s management team, locally, regionally and nationally. There was a programme of audits, and any shortfalls identified were addressed through an action plan.