9 November 2015
During a routine inspection
The inspection took place on 9 November 2015 and was unannounced. This was the first inspection of the service with this provider.
Vermont Lodge provides personal care and support to adults with mental health needs or learning disabilities in a supported living environment. At the time of the inspection 11 people were using the service.
The service has a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.
People at the service felt safe. Staff understood how to recognise and report abuse. People’s needs were supported with relevant risk assessments. There were sufficient numbers of staff to meet people’s needs. Safe recruitment procedures were followed when employing staff. Medicines were managed and administered safely.
Although staff had obtained relevant qualifications and completed training there had been no refresher training since early 2014. Staff were aware of the provisions of the Mental Capacity Act. People were supported to have a healthy diet and to maintain good health.
People commented positively about the manager and staff. People were supported to express their views and preferences. They were involved in making decisions about care and support. Staff promoted independence and respected people’s privacy and dignity. People were supported to maintain family links.
People received care that focussed on their individual needs. Care plans were person centred and covered a range of social and healthcare needs. Care plans reflected people’s needs, goals and preferences. People were encouraged to take part in activities. The service had systems to listen and learn from people’s experiences, concerns and complaints.
The service did not have a formal system of audits, reviews and checks to monitor and assess the quality of service they provided. Staff spoke positively about the manager who encouraged feedback and suggestions. Records relating to the care and support of each person using the service were fit for purpose.
We found two breaches of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 in relation to staff training and a formal quality assurance process. You can see what action we told the provider to take at the back of the full version of this report.
We have recommended that the provider considers the guidance contained within the Mental Capacity Act 2005 Code of Practice and refers to current guidance for good practice in relation to policies, procedures and record keeping.