Bowden Lodge

Updated 8 November 2017

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 5 October 2017 and was unannounced. The inspection was carried out by two adult social care inspectors and one 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.

Before the inspection, we asked the provider to complete a 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. Due to technical problems a PIR was not available and we took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report.

Prior to the inspection we reviewed the information we held about the service, which included correspondence we had received and any notifications submitted to us by the service. Statutory notifications are information the provider is legally required to send us about significant events that happen within the service. For example, where a person who uses the service has a serious injury.

Before our inspection we contacted staff at Healthwatch and they had no concerns recorded. Healthwatch is an independent consumer champion that gathers and represents the views of the public about health and social care services in England. We also contacted members of Sheffield council contracts and commissioning service, and Sheffield Health and Social Care Trust. They told us they had no significant concerns about this service.

During the inspection we spoke with five people who used the service. We met with the registered manager and general manager. We spoke with an additional five members of staff. We spent time looking at written records, which included six people’s care records, five staff personnel files and other records relating to the management of the service. We spent time observing the daily life in the service including the care and support being delivered by all staff. We walked around the home and looked in the communal areas, including the bathroom, the kitchen, and lounges. With their permission we also looked in several people’s bedrooms.

Updated 8 November 2017

We carried out this inspection on 5 October 2017. The inspection was unannounced. This meant no-one at the service knew we were planning to visit.

This was the service’s first inspection since their registration with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in April 2016.

Bowden Lodge provides care for people requiring support with their mental health needs. The service provides care, support, and accommodation for up to 16 people who require personal care without nursing. The service is situated in Sheffield and there is easy access to the city by public transport and all of the facilities available in Sheffield and surrounding areas. At the time of our inspection there were 15 people living at Bowden Lodge.

There was a registered manager employed at the service. 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 registered manager and general manager had a good oversight of the service and were experienced in their roles. People and staff told us they were supportive and approachable.

People were supported by staff who knew them well. Staff we spoke with were enthusiastic about their jobs, and showed care and understanding both for the people they supported and their colleagues.

There were enough staff to ensure people’s care and support needs were met. The service had robust recruitment procedures to make sure staff had the required skills and were of suitable character and background.

Staff were confident about how to protect people from harm and what they would do if they had any safeguarding concerns. They were confident any concerns would be taken seriously by management.

Medicines were stored safely and securely, and procedures were in place to ensure people received their medicines as prescribed.

The registered manager, general manager, and staff were aware of the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and what this meant in practice.

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

Staff were supported through training, regular supervisions and team meetings to help them carry out their roles effectively.

People were encouraged and supported to eat regular and balanced meals.

Care records showed people received appropriate input from health and social care professionals, such as psychiatrists and social workers to ensure they received the care and support they needed.

Staff we spoke with understood what it meant to treat people with dignity and respect. We saw people were treated with dignity and respect throughout this inspection.

People’s care records reflected the person’s current health and social care needs. Care records contained up to date risk assessments. There were systems in place for care records to be regularly reviewed.

There was a range of activities on offer to people living Bowden Lodge.

There was a comprehensive complaints policy and procedure. This was clearly displayed in the main corridor and copies were held on people’s care records.

There were effective systems in place to monitor and improve the quality of the service provided.

The service had up to date policies and procedures which reflected current legislation and good practice guidance.

Safety and maintenance checks for the premises and equipment were in place and up to date.