Marlborough Lodge

Updated 11 December 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 was carried out by one inspector.

Service and service type

Marlborough Lodge is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are 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.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. 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. We used all of this information to plan our inspection. We contacted six professionals who have a working relationship with the service to obtain their feedback.

During the inspection

We spoke with three people who used the service and one relative about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with three members of staff which included the registered manager, team leader and support worker.

We reviewed a range of records. This included three people’s care records and medication records. We looked at three staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at training data and the providers statement of purpose. We spoke with two relatives and received feedback from two professionals who have a working partnership with the service.

Updated 11 December 2019

About the service

Marlborough Lodge is a residential care home providing personal care to 6 people who have learning disabilities and complex support needs. The service can support up to 6 people. The home is a detached property situated in a residential area of St Leonards on Sea.

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

The service demonstrated an excellent commitment to providing outstanding responsive support, which put people at the heart of everything. The registered manager led the staff to deliver person centred care, which had achieved consistently outstanding outcomes for people.

Staff went above and beyond to ensure people’s needs and wishes were at the centre of everything they did. There was an extensive and varied range of social activities and opportunities. People’s care was very personalised and staff demonstrated an enthusiasm and responsibility to ensure that people’s individual needs and outcomes were met. Staff had individual roles and the service appointed a number of care champions who led on specific areas of support.

Staff took positive risks, and thought creatively, to ensure people could do what they wanted to and put strategies in place to overcome any barriers to accessing activities and new opportunities. One relative said, “We've experienced a lot of different placements. (The person) has never been happier anywhere. We are so grateful. We put this down to (the manager). She's a superb manager. They work so well together.”

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.

People were safe at the home and protected from the risk of abuse. One relative said, “He is very vulnerable, but staff support him everywhere. I feel perfectly content that he's as safe there as he would be at home.”

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 kind and compassionate care. People’s independence was promoted by staff. People were treated with respect and dignity and supported to make decisions about their care. One person said, “They are very kind. They help me here.”

The registered manager and provider were well regarded and had a clear vision for the service which was understood by the staff and embedded within their practice. There were effective quality assurance systems in place that were used to drive service improvements. People, their relatives and staff were asked for their feedback about the home and meetings were held regularly. One family member said, “They’ve got a great bunch of people. The manager and her team are the best it has been. They do a brilliant job.”

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. (Report published 3 February 2017).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

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.