About the service Linden Lodge is a residential care home providing accommodation and personal care to up to 10 people living with mental health conditions. Linden Lodge is two residential houses adapted into one building. At the time of the inspection there were 10 people living at the service.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People gave us examples of ways in which the service proactively supported them to live independently and achieve their goals and aspirations. Relatives also spoke with praise about the exceptional care and support that their relative received and gave examples of how the service continued to positively support their relative, enabling them to successfully lead as independent a life as possible.
People told us that they felt safe whilst living at Linden Lodge and were looked after well by all the support staff at the home. Staff knew how to recognise signs of abuse and who to report their concerns to.
People were supported to access work and activities which considered their hobbies and interests. Some people were also supported to acquire skills and training to further develop in their chosen hobbies and interests.
Without exception, care and support was personalised and was delivered with people as the leaders of their care, guiding staff on how they wished to be supported.
People’s diverse needs and qualities including their protected characteristics were recognised and valued. Support staff knew people well and supported them in ways which were individual to them, their character and their needs.
Risks identified with people’s health and care needs had been assessed and appropriate guidance was available for support staff to follow to support people safely.
Processes were in place to ensure people received their medicines safely and as prescribed.
We observed there to be enough support staff available to support people safely. Recruitment processes were followed and ensured that only those staff assessed as safe to work with vulnerable adults were recruited.
Staff received appropriate training and support to carry out their role and meet people’s assessed needs.
People were supported to maintain healthy lives. People’s dietary needs were known by staff and recorded within their care plans. People were supported accordingly based on their identified needs.
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 and relatives knew who to speak with if they had any concerns and were confident their concerns would be addressed and resolved.
We observed support staff to be kind, caring and respectful of people’s privacy and dignity.
Quality assurance systems implemented by the registered manager and provider ensured that the quality of care people received was continually monitored. Where issues were identified these were addressed and further learning and improvements were considered.
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 28 June 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.