Retreat Lodge

Updated 13 November 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 inspection team consisted of one inspector.

Service and service type

Retreat Lodge is a residential care home that provides accommodation and personal care for adults with learning disabilities.

People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

The service did not have a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission, although the manager was in the process of registering with us. This means that the provider is legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced and the site visit took place on 26 September 2019.

What we did before the inspection

Our inspection was informed by evidence we already held about the service. We also checked for feedback we received from members of the public, the local authority and clinical commissioning groups (CCGs).

We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections.

During the inspection

Although we met with people using staff to facilitate communication, people were unable to express their views about the service due to their learning disabilities and other complex needs. Therefore we observed interactions of staff with people. We spoke with the manager and four care workers. We reviewed two people’s care records, medicines records, two staff files, audits and other records about the management of the service. After the inspection we spoke with two relatives.

Updated 13 November 2019

About the service

Retreat Lodge is a residential care home providing accommodation and personal care. The home accommodates up to seven people in one house. At the time of our inspection seven people with learning disabilities were living at the home.

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.

As part of thematic review, we carried out a survey with the manager at this inspection. This considered whether the service used any restrictive intervention practices (restraint, seclusion and segregation) when supporting people. The service used some restrictive intervention practices as a last resort, in a person-centred way, in line with positive behaviour support principles.

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

Staff managed people’s medicines safely and our checks showed people received their medicines as prescribed. Staff understood the risks in people’s care and how to support them safely and the provider had checks in place to manage the premises and equipment safely. The service was clean and staff followed suitable infection control practices. There were enough staff to support people safely and staff were recruited following robust processes.

The provider supported staff with a range of training relating to people’s needs, as well as one to one supervision. People received the support they needed to maintain their day to day health and in relation to eating and drinking. 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 were cared for by staff who were kind and understood them well. Staff supported people to be involved in decisions in their care and care was personalised to meet people’s needs and preferences. Staff supported people to access a wide range of activities they were interested in, and supported people on annual holidays. Staff understood people’s communication needs well. The provider had a suitable process in place to respond to any concerns or complaints.

An experienced manager was in post who was in the process of registering with us. The manager was well regarded by staff and relatives. The manager had sufficient oversight of the service, working alongside staff regularly to check high standards were maintained. The provider had a range of audits in place to check standards were maintained at all times.

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 requires improvement (report published September 2018).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the rating at the last inspection.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor intelligence we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If any concerning information is received, we may inspect sooner.