HoneySuckle Lodge

Updated 16 September 2022

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 Health and Social Care Act 2008.

As part of this inspection we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place. This was conducted so we can understand the preparedness of the service in preventing or managing an infection outbreak, and to identify good practice we can share with other services.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Service and service type

HoneySuckle Lodge is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and/or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. HoneySuckle Lodge is a care home without nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Registered Manager

This service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. 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.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

The first day of our inspection was unannounced. The second inspection date was announced to enable us to return to the service at a time when people were available and happy to speak with us.

What we did before inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since it had been registered. We sought feedback from the local authority who use the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

Most of the people who used the service were unable to talk with us. People used different ways of communicating including using signalong, pictures, photos, symbols, objects and their body language. We communicated with two people who used the service and spoke with eight relatives about their experience of the care provided.

We spoke with nine members of staff including the administrator, the member of staff responsible for HR, one team leader, three support workers, the registered manager, the general manager, and the nominated individual. The nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider. We also spoke with a health and social care professional who worked with the service.

We reviewed a range of records. This included three people’s care records and two people’s 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 were reviewed.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at additional records relating to the care provided to people. We spoke with one professional and received email feedback from a further two professionals who all worked regularly with the service. We also spoke with an additional relative.

Updated 16 September 2022

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.

About the service

HoneySuckle Lodge is a residential care home providing personal care to six people at the time of the inspection. The service can support up to four people living permanently at the care home and up to two people on a short-term respite basis. Nine people in total used the respite service. The four people who lived in the service permanently were accommodated in their own self-contained flats. This included a kitchen, living room, bathroom and bedroom. Each flat also had its own garden space. People who lived in the service permanently and those who visited for respite care could also access a communal kitchen, dining room, and living space as well as larger communal gardens. The service also offered a sensory room, a cinema room, and an arts and craft room.

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

Right Support

People lived in a clean and pleasant environment that had been adapted to meet their individual needs. Relatives praised the tenacity and commitment of staff in ensuring people were supported to have good outcomes and a good quality of life. People were supported by skilled and competent staff who had been recruited safely. The support provided to people to help them communicate their wishes and feelings was exceptional. This helped people be in control of their support. People were supported to manage their health needs and achieved good outcomes in this area. Staff worked well with other health and social care professionals. Risks to people were well managed. 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 and their needs were central to the service. Staff were extremely passionate and committed to understanding people’s wishes and helping them achieve this. People were supported by staff who had high expectations for their quality of life. They fostered and developed people’s independence and daily living skills. Relatives told us they had seen people grow and develop as a result. People and relatives were supported by empathetic and caring staff who at times went over and above to ensure people and their relatives felt supported and cared about. People were well supported to manage episodes of distress and staff had worked hard to help reduce these occasions.

Right culture

There was a strong person-centred and inclusive culture. Staff worked well with each other and people using the service. The management team were open, honest, and keen to learn and develop the service to its full potential. Staff felt well supported by the management team, who had introduced several initiatives to help staff feel valued. Governance frameworks were in place but further strengthening and development was needed in order to fully underpin the good quality of care being provided.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection

This service was registered with us on 18 June 2021 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection to provide a rating for the service following its registration. We undertook this inspection to assess that the service is applying the principles of Right support, right care, right culture.

Enforcement and Recommendations

We have made a recommendation about the governance of the service.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.