28 December 2023
During an inspection looking at part of the service
Mar Lodge provides accommodation, care and support for up to 7 people with learning disabilities or autistic spectrum disorder. At this inspection they were providing care for 7 people.
We expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted.
'Right support, right care, right culture' is the guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements about services supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people and providers must have regard to it.
People's experience of using this service and what we found;
Right Support: The building and environment were residential and ‘homely’. The home was designed to enable people to socialise in communal spaces, but also have time alone, or see visitors in private The kitchen was accessible to all people living at the home. People had been supported to personalise their own rooms. There were a number of steps within the building which may present a trip or fall hazard, however, the provider had taken action to reduce risks with adaptations such as brighter lighting and working with individuals to manage the risks while maintaining their independence.
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.
Right Care : People received a structured lifestyle based on their choice and preferences. Staff were appropriately skilled and competent to meet people's needs and keep them safe. Staff knew and understood people’s communication needs, and this supported positive respectful relationships and interactions. People’s independence and abilities were promoted. People lived active lives and were supported to maintain relationships with friends and family.
Right Culture: People's wishes and needs were at the centre of everything. The provider, registered manager and staff were highly motivated to achieve good outcomes for people and were caring and compassionate. Systems and processes for monitoring and improving quality and safety were effective. The culture and values were based on people’s views and priorities and were shared by people, staff and managers.
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’ (published 12 December 2018).
Recommendations
We recommended the provider take action to improve temperature control in the conservatory so people can access this living space as required at all times of the year.
Why we inspected
This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.
We undertook a focused inspection to review the key questions of safe and well-led only. For those key questions not inspected, we used the ratings awarded at the last inspection to calculate the overall rating.
The overall rating for the service has remained as ‘good’ based on the findings of this inspection.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.