Green Lodge Respite Care Unit

Updated 23 October 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 checked 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 20 September 2018 and was unannounced.

The inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Before the inspection, we reviewed the information we held about the provider, including previous inspection report, notifications and information about any complaints and safeguarding concerns received. Notifications are events which providers are required to inform us about. We also reviewed information that we had received from local authorities, and 'share your experience information', an online CQC form, which members of the public complete to tell us their experience of the service. We looked at the Provider Information Return (PIR). The PIR is a form in which the provider tells us what improvements they plan to make and what they do well.

We spoke with three people who used the service and one relative. We spoke with three care staff, an administrative officer, a domestic assistant, and the registered manager. We reviewed three sets of records relating to people, including care plans, risk assessments and medicine records. We looked at four sets of staff recruitment, training and supervision records. We read minutes of staff meetings and looked at the provider's policies and procedures. We examined the quality assurance and monitoring systems used by the provider.

Updated 23 October 2018

Green Lodge Respite Care Unit is a care home. 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. The home is registered to provide accommodation and support with personal care on a respite basis for up to nine people with a learning disability. At the time of the inspection, there were seven people using the service.

The care service has been developed and designed in line with 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.

At the last inspection in May 2016 the service was rated Good. At this inspection, we found the service remained Good.

The service had a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the CQC 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.

Pre-assessments were completed for people, care plans developed and reviewed for each person before they started using the service. The registered manager was communicating with relevant authorities to address this.

People were protected from harm. Each person had a risk assessment and staff knew how to ensure risks to people were managed. Staff were aware the actions they needed to take if they became aware of an incident of abuse.

The premises were clean and tidy. Staff had attended training on basic food hygiene and infection control, and knew how to reduce the risk of spread of infections.

The management and administration of medicines were thorough and accurate. People were confident that staff administered their medicines as prescribed by their doctors.

There were enough trained and experienced staff at the service. The recruitment of staff was robust and new staff were appropriately checked and inducted before they started work.

Staff had training and supervision opportunities to upgrade their knowledge and skills to meet people's needs. They told us they felt supported by the registered manager.

Staff had a good understanding of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and people's care plans showed mental capacity assessments had been completed and applications for Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) were made to local authorities.

Staff promoted people’s independence and treated them with respect and dignity. People were confident staff respected their privacy.

Various activities were available for people to enjoy both within and outside the service.

There were systems in place to ensure that various health and safety aspects of the service were regularly checked to make sure the facilities and equipment were safe.

People told us the food was good. People's nutritional and hydration needs were assessed and met. People could choose their meals.

Staff worked with healthcare professionals to ensure people had access to healthcare.

Complaints were recorded and investigated. people and relatives knew how to make a complaint.

The registered manager sought feedback to ensure people and relatives' views were considered in the improvement of the quality of the service.