Amberwood Lodge

Updated 27 July 2019

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 Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

This inspection was completed by one adult social care inspector.

Service and service type

Amberwood Lodge is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. 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.

Notice of inspection

We gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because the service is small, and people are often out, and we wanted to be sure there would be people at home to speak with us.

Inspection activity started on 18 June 2019 and ended on 19 June 2019.

What we did before the inspection

The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report.

We reviewed information we had received about the service. This included details about incidents the provider must notify us about, such as abuse; and we sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service.

During the inspection

We spoke with three people who used the service and met with two relatives and one health care professional.

We spoke with the registered manager, regional manager, head of quality and a team manager. We met with five staff including maintenance and support workers. We reviewed a range of records. This included four people’s care records and multiple 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, including quality audits and feedback questionnaires.

We walked around the building and observed care practice and interactions between support staff and people.

After the inspection

We looked at training data and policies. We spoke with one professional who regularly visited the service.

Updated 27 July 2019

About the service

Amberwood Lodge is a residential care home providing personal care to nine young people aged 18 and over at the time of the inspection. The service can support up to nine people and has two communal open plan kitchen dining areas, a communal lounge, sensory room and activities room.

The service has been developed and designed in line with the principles and values that underpin 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 for them.

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

People told us they were happy, felt safe. Relatives said that staff had a good understanding of their loved ones needs and preferences. Risks had been identified and measures put in place to keep people safe from harm. Medicines were managed safely and administered by trained staff.

Staff listened to what people wanted and acted quickly to support them to achieve their goals and outcomes. Staff looked to offer people solutions to aid their independence and develop their skills.

Staff were well trained and skilled. They worked with people to overcome challenges and promote their independence. The emphasis of support was towards inclusion and enabling people to learn essential life skills. Equality, Diversity and Human Rights (EDHR) were promoted and understood by staff.

People, professionals and their families described the staff as caring, kind and friendly and the atmosphere of the home as relaxed and engaging. 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 received pre-admission assessments and effective person-centred support. The service was responsive to people’s current and changing needs. Regular reviews took place which ensured people were at the centre of their support.

A new registered manager had been recruited since the last inspection. Leadership was visible and promoted good teamwork. People, professionals and staff spoke highly about the management and staff had a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities. The registered manager, deputy manager, team managers and staff team worked together in a positive way to support people to achieve their own goals and to be safe.

Checks of safety and quality were made to ensure people were protected. Work to continuously improve the service was noted and the registered manager was keen to make changes that would impact positively on people's lives.

The service applied the principles and values of Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These ensure that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes that include control, choice and independence.

The outcomes for people using the service reflected the principles and values of Registering the Right Support by promoting choice and control, independence and inclusion. People's support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible for them to gain new skills and become more independent.

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 17 January 2018).

Why we inspected

The inspection was prompted in part due to concerns received about a high number of safeguarding alerts and use of physical interventions. A decision was made for us to inspect and examine those risks.

We found no evidence during this inspection that people were at risk of harm from these concerns. Please see the safe and well led sections of this full report.

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.