About the serviceMeyrick Lodge is a care home registered to provide accommodation and personal care for up to six people diagnosed with learning disabilities. At the time of this inspection there were five people living at the home.
The service has been developed and designed in line with the values that underpin the 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 of them.
People’s experience of using the service and what we found
There was a relaxed, happy and welcoming atmosphere at Meyrick Lodge. People were supported by staff who knew them very well and provided kind, caring person-centred care and support. People were treated with dignity and respect that valued them individually. People told us they enjoyed living at Meyrick Lodge and they liked the staff and people who lived in the home.
People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives, with staff providing support in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.
People led active lives, supported by staff to take part in a variety of activities, hobbies and voluntary work that they enjoyed and that maintained their independence.
We received positive feedback from relatives about the kindness, compassion and professionalism of staff. Staff understood how to identify, and report abuse and were well supported in their roles. Staff received regular supervision meetings and a variety of training courses to enable them to carry out their roles competently.
There was a clear management structure and people, relatives and staff spoke highly of the registered manager who ensured there was an open, supportive, friendly culture at the home. There was a strong ethos and culture of delivering personalised care and support to people.
The service was safe. Risks to people’s health, safety and well being were assessed and management plans put in place to ensure risks were reduced as much as possible, whilst providing positive risk taking support for people.
People were supported by safely recruited staff and there were enough appropriately trained and experienced staff to support people in ways that suited them. Communication styles and methods were tailored to individual people and staff supported people to understand the choices available to them.
The service worked collaboratively and closely with health care professionals to ensure people received the best care and support at all times. Staff were responsive to people’s changing support needs and adapted care and support according to their health needs.
People’s health care needs were met, and staff supported them to see healthcare professionals when appropriate. Medicines were managed, stored and administered safely. People were supported to take their medicines safely by staff who had received the appropriate levels of training.
There was a clear complaints policy and relatives told us they knew how to make a complaint if the needed to and felt any concerns would be taken seriously and action taken straight away.
There were established quality assurance systems in place to drive improvement and ensure the home offered a safe, effective, caring and responsive service.
Rating at last inspection
The last rating for this service was good, (published May 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.