Stratford Lodge

Updated 17 July 2018

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 was a comprehensive inspection. The inspection took place on 7 June and was unannounced. The inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Before the inspection we reviewed other information we held about the service, including previous inspection reports and notifications sent to us by the provider. Notifications are information about specific important events the service is legally required to send to us. We also looked at information in the Provider Information Return (PIR). This 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.

During the inspection we spoke with three people using the service, three members of staff, the registered manager and nominated individual. We reviewed three people's care and support records and four staff files. We also looked at records relating to the management of the service such as incident and accident records, meeting minutes, recruitment and training records, policies, audits and complaints. After the inspection we received written feedback from one member of staff and one health professional.

Updated 17 July 2018

Stratford Lodge is a care home which provides accommodation and personal care for up to nine people with autism. Eight of the nine people who live at the service have attended the nearby Grateley House School. One person joined the home from another Cambian provision. People continued to receive specialist therapy services from the school and some also attended local colleges. The service is part of the school's post 16 'sixth form' provision and supports people who are preparing to leave the school to move to more independent settings. At the time of our inspection nine people were living at Stratford Lodge, all of whom were aged between 16 and 19.

At our last inspection we rated the service good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

People using the service said they felt safe. One person said, “I feel really safe living here. I can lock the door to my room.”

Staff had been trained to protect people from harm and abuse. All of the staff we spoke with knew how to keep people safe. Incidents and accidents were reported and investigated. Records showed lessons learned from these were shared with staff.

Risk assessments were carried out. Positive risk taking was promoted. One staff member said, “We supported one person to catch the bus on their own; it sounds a small thing to you or I, but to him it was a massive step.”

Staff were trained to carry out their roles. Regular in-depth supervisions took place with staff.

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. Advocacy services were available for people to access.

People using the service spoke highly of the staff. One person said, “Staff encourage us. They ask us if there’s anything we want to talk about and help us work towards things we want to achieve.” We observed many positive interactions between staff and people using the service.

Support plans were person centred and detailed people’s short and long term goals. People were actively involved in these.

Regular feedback was sought from people and their families. Complaints were investigated and resolved appropriately. Many compliments had been received.

There was a strong and visible leadership from the registered manager. They were passionate and focussed about their role. They said, “One of our many successes is building people’s independence skills. The team here are very good at supporting people to achieve the things they want.” One person said “[The manager] is really good. If I want or need anything, she’ll do what she can to make it happen.”

There were robust quality assurance processes in place. The service was always seeking ways to improve the outcomes for people.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.