Care Home: Oak Lodge

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What the care home does well People live in a home which is clean, tidy and comfortably furnished and meets their needs.Each person has their bedroom and can choose how it is arranged.People can practise tasks such as cooking so that they can be more independent. Staff support them to do this.There is a wide range of work, social and leisure activities that they can choose to do for example where they go on holiday.They can talk about any problems or concerns they have and feel staff listen and act on them. People told us staff are kind and friendly.Their health is checked through regular appointments with a range of people, such as doctors.They told us they can visit or have visits from relatives or friends whenever they want.Staff are well trained. What has improved since the last inspection? Requirements are things we say they must do if we find they are not meeting good standards. However, we did not make any during our last visit and have not made any for some years.There have been improvements made to the environment. For example, the refurbishment and redecoration of the kitchen and some bedrooms.People who use the service are involved in the decisions about this.There have been improvements made to obtain work placements so that people who use the service can have more opportunities to gain work experiences.People have been supported to move on from the service into independent training flats.They now have wakeful staff on duty at night.Staff are well trained. What the care home could do better: We have not made any requirements telling them they have to do things to improve the service for some time now.They continue to provide a high standard of care and look at ways they can improve it, taking into account the views and opinions of the people who live there. Key inspection report Care homes for adults (18-65 years) Name: Address: Oak Lodge Stanley Avenue Mablethorpe Lincs. LN12 1DP The quality rating for this care home is: Three star excellent service A quality rating is our assessment of how well a care home is meeting the needs of the people who use it. We give a quality rating following a full review of the service. We call this full review a ‘key’ inspection. Lead inspector: Sue Hayward Date: 0 3 0 2 2 0 1 0 This report is a review of the quality of outcomes that people experience in this care home. We believe high quality care should: • Be safe • Have the right outcomes, including clinical outcomes • Be a good experience for the people that use it • Help prevent illness, and promote healthy, independent living • Be available to those who need it when they need it. The first part of the review gives the overall quality rating for the care home: • 3 stars – excellent • 2 stars – good • 1 star – adequate • 0 star – poor There is also a bar chart that gives a quick way of seeing the quality of care that the home provides under key areas that matter to people. There is a summary of what we think this service does well, what they have improved on and, where it applies, what they need to do better. We use the national minimum standards to describe the outcomes that people should experience. National minimum standards are written by the Department of Health for each type of care service. After the summary there is more detail about our findings. The following table explains what you will see under each outcome area Outcome area (for example: Choice of home) These are the outcomes that people staying in care homes should experience. They reflect the things that people have said are important to them: This box tells you the outcomes that we will always inspect against when we do a key inspection. This box tells you any additional outcomes that we may inspect against when we do a key inspection. This is what people staying in this care home experience: Judgement: This box tells you our opinion of what we have looked at in this outcome area. We will say whether it is excellent, good, adequate or poor. Evidence: This box describes the information we used to come to our judgement Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 2 of 39 Copies of the National Minimum Standards – Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) can be found at www.dh.gov.uk or bought from The Stationery Office (TSO) PO Box 29, St Crispins, Duke Street, Norwich, NR3 1GN. Tel: 0870 600 5522. Online ordering from the Stationery Office is also available: www.tso.co.uk/bookshop The mission of the Care Quality Commission is to make care better for people by: • Regulating health and adult social care services to ensure quality and safety standards, drive improvement and stamp out bad practice • Protecting the rights of people who use services, particularly the most vulnerable and those detained under the Mental Health Act 1983 • Providing accessible, trustworthy information on the quality of care and services so people can make better decisions about their care and so that commissioners and providers of services can improve services. • Providing independent public accountability on how commissioners and providers of services are improving the quality of care and providing value for money. Reader Information Document Purpose Author Audience Further copies from Copyright Inspection report Care Quality Commission General public 0870 240 7535 (telephone order line) © Care Quality Commission 2010 This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part in any format or medium for non-commercial purposes, provided that it is reproduced accurately and not used in a derogatory manner or in a misleading context. The source should be acknowledged, by showing the publication title and © Care Quality Commission 2010. www.cqc.org.uk Internet address Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 3 of 39 Information about the care home Name of care home: Address: Oak Lodge Stanley Avenue Mablethorpe Lincs. LN12 1DP 01507479782 janet.skinner@linkage.org.uk Telephone number: Fax number: Email address: Provider web address: Name of registered provider(s): Type of registration: Number of places registered: Linkage Community Trust Care home 9 Conditions of registration: Category(ies) : Number of places (if applicable): Under 65 Over 65 learning disability Additional conditions: Date of last inspection 9 0 2 4 0 1 2 0 0 7 Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 4 of 39 A bit about the care home Oak lodge is a large converted private house with gardens to the front and rear of the building. Nine men and women over the age of eighteen live in the home. Everyone who lives in the home has their own bedroom. No one has to share a room. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 5 of 39 Everyone is given information telling them what they can expect if they live there. There is a range of social, leisure and work opportunities that people can choose to participate in. Some are operated by Linkage Community Trust and others in the local community. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 6 of 39 The current cost per week for someone to live there ranges from £445.00 - £555.00 per week. A copy of this inspection report is available in the home or can be obtained from the manager. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 7 of 39 Summary This is an overview of what we found during the inspection. The quality rating for this care home is: Our judgement for each outcome: three star excellent service Choice of home Individual needs and choices Lifestyle Personal and healthcare support Concerns, complaints and protection Environment Staffing Conduct and management of the home Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 8 of 39 How we did our inspection: This is what the inspector did when they were at the care home When we use the terms we and us in this report we mean the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Before the inspection an Annual Quality Assurance assessment (AQAA) was completed by the manager. This is a form the manager fills in and sends to the Care Quality Commission telling the inspector how the home is meeting the needs of the people that live there We received surveys from all the people who live in the home, some of their friends and relatives and from some staff who work at the home. They also gave us their views about the service. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 9 of 39 We followed the care of two people and checked their records. We spoke to three people who live at the home. Two people showed us their bedrooms. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 10 of 39 We talked to two staff members who were on duty. We looked at some of the policies and procedures in the office. Policies are rules about how to do things. Procedures tell people how to follow the rules. We talked to the manager about the outcomes Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 11 of 39 What the care home does well People live in a home which is clean, tidy and comfortably furnished and meets their needs. Each person has their bedroom and can choose how it is arranged. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 12 of 39 People can practise tasks such as cooking so that they can be more independent. Staff support them to do this. There is a wide range of work, social and leisure activities that they can choose to do for example where they go on holiday. They can talk about any problems or concerns they have and feel staff listen and act on them. People told us staff are kind and friendly. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 13 of 39 Their health is checked through regular appointments with a range of people, such as doctors. They told us they can visit or have visits from relatives or friends whenever they want. Staff are well trained. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 14 of 39 What has got better from the last inspection Requirements are things we say they must do if we find they are not meeting good standards. However, we did not make any during our last visit and have not made any for some years. There have been improvements made to the environment. For example, the refurbishment and redecoration of the kitchen and some bedrooms. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 15 of 39 People who use the service are involved in the decisions about this. There have been improvements made to obtain work placements so that people who use the service can have more opportunities to gain work experiences. People have been supported to move on from the service into independent training flats. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 16 of 39 They now have wakeful staff on duty at night. Staff are well trained. What the care home could do better Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 17 of 39 We have not made any requirements telling them they have to do things to improve the service for some time now. They continue to provide a high standard of care and look at ways they can improve it, taking into account the views and opinions of the people who live there. If you want to read the full report of our inspection please ask the person in charge of the care home Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 18 of 39 If you want to speak to the inspector please contact Sue Hayward Care Quality Commission (East Midlands) Citygate Gallowgate Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 4PA Tel. 03000 616161 If you want to know what action the person responsible for this care home is taking following this report, you can contact them using the details set out on page 4. The report of this inspection is available from our website www.cqc.org.uk. You can get printed copies from enquiries@cqc.org.uk or by telephoning our order line - 0870 240 7535. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 19 of 39 Details of our findings Contents Choice of home (standards 1 - 5) Individual needs and choices (standards 6-10) Lifestyle (standards 11 - 17) Personal and healthcare support (standards 18 - 21) Concerns, complaints and protection (standards 22 - 23) Environment (standards 24 - 30) Staffing (standards 31 - 36) Conduct and management of the home (standards 37 - 43) Outstanding statutory requirements Requirements and recommendations from this inspection Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 20 of 39 Choice of home These are the outcomes that people staying in care homes should experience. They reflect the things that people have said are important to them: People are confident that the care home can support them. This is because there is an accurate assessment of their needs that they, or people close to them, have been involved in. This tells the home all about them, what they hope for and want to achieve, and the support they need. People can decide whether the care home can meet their support and accommodation needs. This is because they, and people close to them, can visit the home and get full, clear, accurate and up to date information. If they decide to stay in the home they know about their rights and responsibilities because there is an easy to understand contract or statement of terms and conditions between the person and the care home that includes how much they will pay and what the home provides for the money. This is what people staying in this care home experience: Judgement: People using this service experience excellent quality outcomes in this area. We have made this judgement using a range of evidence, including a visit to this service. Peoples needs are thoroughly assessed and they are provided with good information about the home before admission so that they can feel confident their needs will be met. Evidence: Both records checked on this occasion show that there is a thorough assessment procedure in operation, and people who use the service, their relatives and other professionals are fully consulted and involved. Assessments are well documented and contain a range of detailed information such as personal history, health, any specific risks to people who live in the home and any social or medical needs. We saw that people had been given information telling them about the service and this information is readily available to people who live in the home and visitors. It is available in different formats such as symbols and they have told us they are looking into providing more information on a digital video disk (DVD) for people who have different ways of communicating. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 21 of 39 Evidence: People told us they received enough information about the service and felt they were well looked after. A relative commented its a lovely place to be. All but one staff member felt they were always given sufficient and up to date information about people. Those we spoke to have a good knowledge of the needs of people we asked about and we saw they supported people appropriately with their needs, for example when helping them at breakfast time. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 22 of 39 Individual needs and choices These are the outcomes that people staying in care homes should experience. They reflect the things that people have said are important to them: People’s needs and goals are met. The home has a plan of care that the person, or someone close to them, has been involved in making. People are able to make decisions about their life, including their finances, with support if they need it. This is because the staff promote their rights and choices. People are supported to take risks to enable them to stay independent. This is because the staff have appropriate information on which to base decisions. People are asked about, and are involved in, all aspects of life in the home. This is because the manager and staff offer them opportunities to participate in the day to day running of the home and enable them to influence key decisions. People are confident that the home handles information about them appropriately. This is because the home has clear policies and procedures that staff follow. This is what people staying in this care home experience: Judgement: People using this service experience excellent quality outcomes in this area. We have made this judgement using a range of evidence, including a visit to this service. Peoples individual needs and wishes are well met and their independence is promoted so that they have choice and control over their daily lives. Evidence: The care plans we checked were well organised and contained detailed information about peoples needs and how to meet them and were specific to each individual. Where necessary, we saw that risk assessments had been recorded and showed any actions needed to minimise any risks identified without depriving people of opportunities to increase their independence, for example in relation to going out into the community alone. Information was available in personal records checked to show that each individuals care plan is reviewed on a monthly basis and more formally annually, involving other significant people such as family members and placing authorities. People who use the Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 23 of 39 Evidence: service went through their care plans with us and showed us they knew what information was contained in them. Comments from people who had completed surveys ranged from sometimes to always making decisions about what they did each day. People we spoke to on the day were complimentary about the care they received and gave us some of examples of the types of decisions they made. For example, they can choose what leisure activities they do, what meals they have and how they arrange their room. We also noticed on the day of the visit that people are able to get up and have breakfast when they want and go out when they wish. We saw that in both of the personal records checked people had been given information about how to contact an advocate if they needed to. People who live in the home also told us that regular house meetings are held where people who live in the home can get together to discuss matters such as meals and what they want to do in their leisure time. We saw from how staff supported and responded to people who live in the home that they have a good knowledge of their needs. They told us they were given up to date information and enough support and training to carry out their work and meet people’s needs. People told us they liked living at Oak Lodge and felt that they were, well cared for and looked after. Their relatives who had completed surveys also made complimentary comments such as Oak Lodge makes my relative very happy and it gives me peace of mind knowing that X...... is well cared for and looked after. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 24 of 39 Lifestyle These are the outcomes that people staying in care homes should experience. They reflect the things that people have said are important to them: Each person is treated as an individual and the care home is responsive to his or her race, culture, religion, age, disability, gender and sexual orientation. They can take part in activities that are appropriate to their age and culture and are part of their local community. The care home supports people to follow personal interests and activities. People are able to keep in touch with family, friends and representatives and the home supports them to have appropriate personal, family and sexual relationships. People are as independent as they can be, lead their chosen lifestyle and have the opportunity to make the most of their abilities. Their dignity and rights are respected in their daily life. People have healthy, well-presented meals and snacks, at a time and place to suit them. People have opportunities to develop their social, emotional, communication and independent living skills. This is because the staff support their personal development. People choose and participate in suitable leisure activities. This is what people staying in this care home experience: Judgement: People using this service experience excellent quality outcomes in this area. We have made this judgement using a range of evidence, including a visit to this service. People enjoy the wide range of social, leisure and vocational opportunities which they choose to participate in within the home and community. People like the meals, which are well balanced and promote healthy eating. Evidence: We saw that people are consulted about the choice of meals from the records we checked of house meetings. Everyone we spoke to said they liked the food and we saw they had opportunities to help prepare breakfast and lunch meals. Records are kept of the meals provided and we saw that they were well balanced and healthy. People who live in the home told us that they have choices over the types of meals provided. The kitchen was clean and tidy and we saw that fresh fruit is available in the dining room for people to help themselves to if they wish. Staff comments and training records show that staff have had training about basic food hygiene. We saw from people’s personal records that they contain information about their Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 25 of 39 Evidence: preferred leisure, social and vocational interests. People told us they discussed what recreational activities they wanted to do at house meetings. Records we saw confirmed there is a wide range of activities that people can participate in if they wish. One person told us they did karate and kick boxing. Another person said they had been on holiday last year to Belgium. We saw and people told us that they have opportunities to increase their skills and become more independent, for example participating in domestic tasks around the home such as ensuring the cleanliness of their room and meal preparation. We saw that staff were available and supported people with these tasks. People who live in the home told us they could visit or have friends and relatives visit them whenever they wished. The comments we received from relatives surveys were that the service helped their relatives,” become as independent as possible , always keeps us informed and involved and whenever we visit we are always made to feel welcome by staff and service users alike. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 26 of 39 Personal and healthcare support These are the outcomes that people staying in care homes should experience. They reflect the things that people have said are important to them: People receive personal support from staff in the way they prefer and want. Their physical and emotional health needs are met because the home has procedures in place that staff follow. If people take medicine, they manage it themselves if they can. If they cannot manage their medicine, the care home supports them with it in a safe way. If people are approaching the end of their life, the care home will respect their choices and help them to feel comfortable and secure. They, and people close to them, are reassured that their death will be handled with sensitivity, dignity and respect, and take account of their spiritual and cultural wishes. This is what people staying in this care home experience: Judgement: People using this service experience excellent quality outcomes in this area. We have made this judgement using a range of evidence, including a visit to this service. People are happy with the health and personal care provided which meets their current needs and promotes their independence. Evidence: The organisation has told us they have policies and procedures informing staff how to administer medication safely and staff confirmed as did training records this is included in their training programme. They told us that people who live in the home are able to self administer medication following risk assessments being carried out. They use a monitored dosage system of medication administration. We saw a record to show that a local pharmacist had visited and checked the systems in place on 06/07/09 and offered advice and guidance on how they might be improved. We noted that records kept to show when medicines had been administered were well maintained. We saw there were satisfactory arrangements in place for the storage of medication. We saw that the personal records we checked contained detailed information about health related matters. For example, they contained information about allergies and specific medical conditions. We saw that there was health action plans in place and a hospital passport which contains important information to help other medical professionals if people from the service have to be admitted to hospital for example. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 27 of 39 Evidence: People told us they received the support they needed and information from the surveys we obtained included comments that people who live in the home felt they were well looked after and cared for. Relatives also made comments which indicated they felt the service met their relative’s needs and that they were kept up to date about any important issues affecting their relatives. One person told us my relative was very ill this year. Care at Oak Lodge is first class. Xs health is well cared for “and I am very happy with the level of care provided. Staff told us that they had a range of training opportunities which included health related matters such as epilepsy, first aid and dealing with challenging behaviour. The organisation also has access to a range of clinical professionals such as a psychiatrist, psychologist, physiotherapist and speech therapist. People told us they could visit people such as doctors or opticians when they wished. Their personal records showed that their health is regularly monitored through annual check ups. Their personal care needs are reviewed monthly and any changes necessary are documented. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 28 of 39 Concerns, complaints and protection These are the outcomes that people staying in care homes should experience. They reflect the things that people have said are important to them: If people have concerns with their care, they or people close to them, know how to complain. Their concern is looked into and action taken to put things right. The care home safeguards people from abuse, neglect and self-harm and takes action to follow up any allegations. There are no additional outcomes. This is what people staying in this care home experience: Judgement: People using this service experience good quality outcomes in this area. We have made this judgement using a range of evidence, including a visit to this service. Satisfactory processes are in place, which help to make sure people feel safe, know how and feel comfortable to raise concerns. Evidence: People told us they knew what to do if they had a problem or were unhappy and would feel comfortable to talk to staff about any concerns. Four of the people who responded to our survey said that they thought staff always listened and acted on what they said; one said they usually did and three said sometimes they did. People we spoke to on the day said they knew who to speak to if they needed to make a complaint and one person told us that they had done so recently and it had been resolved satisfactorily. All relatives and carers who had completed surveys said they knew how to make a complaint and the service responded appropriately if they raised any. We saw that people who live in the home are given information about how to make a complaint and a copy of this information was seen on both personal files checked. It is available in different forms such as symbols for people who can communicate more easily in this way. People who live in the home told us they have meetings and can raise any matters they wish at them. We saw that they keep records of these meetings. No complaints have been raised directly with ourselves since the last key inspection. They have told us they have received one which has been satisfactorily resolved. We have been notified of one matter which was referred to the Local Authority Safe Guarding Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 29 of 39 Evidence: Adults team who then passed it on to the service to investigate internally. We have received information to show appropriate action was taken to deal with the matter satisfactorily. There are appropriate records kept of any complaints they have received. There are relevant policies and procedures in place for staff to follow about complaints and safeguarding adults matters. Records we checked showed that staff receive training and regular updates about safeguarding vulnerable adults. We also saw that there are satisfactory procedures in place for handling any money or valuables in safekeeping on behalf of people who live in the home. Records of staff recruitment showed there is a thorough recruitment process in place to protect people. People told us they felt safe living at Oak Lodge. Relatives’ comments were staff are very approachable and staff respond well to queries raised by myself or my relative. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 30 of 39 Environment These are the outcomes that people staying in care homes should experience. They reflect the things that people have said are important to them: People stay in a safe and well-maintained home that is homely, clean, comfortable, pleasant and hygienic. People stay in a home that has enough space and facilities for them to lead the life they choose and to meet their needs. The home makes sure they have the right specialist equipment that encourages and promotes their independence. Their room feels like their own, it is comfortable and they feel safe when they use it. People have enough privacy when using toilets and bathrooms. This is what people staying in this care home experience: Judgement: People using this service experience good quality outcomes in this area. We have made this judgement using a range of evidence, including a visit to this service. The home is well maintained and provides comfortable, clean, well-personalised and safe accommodation for the people who live there. Evidence: On arrival to the service we were greeted and welcomed into the home by one of the people who lives there and introduced to staff. We were then shown where the fire exits were should the alarm sound. All areas of the home we saw were clean, tidy and comfortably furnished. We checked the bedrooms of two people who said we could and we saw that people are able to have their own keys to them if they wish. People told us they are able to arrange their rooms as they wish and make their own choices about them, such as how they are furnished. They told us they can choose their own personal effects. Other areas we saw were the lounges, dining room, office, kitchen, bathrooms and toilets. The home was warm and no obvious safety issues noticed. There is a laundry room and we saw that there is antiseptic hand wash gel available for people to use and notices reminding them to do so. This helps to promote good hygiene practises. We saw that the staff training programme covers health and safety matters such as infection control. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 31 of 39 Evidence: People told us they liked living at Oak Lodge. Those who had completed surveys told us the home is always kept clean and tidy. Their comments and observations we made during the visit showed that they are involved in household domestic tasks, which increases their skills and prepares them to live independently if this is what they wish. Their relatives made positive comments about the home environment. For example its a lovely place to be and we cannot give Oak Lodge and its staff anything less than an excellent rating. We saw records to show risk assessments of the safety of the environment had been reviewed in May 2009. We saw reports of visits carried out by a company representative, which showed the maintenance and safety aspects of the building are monitored. For example we noticed the report of 18/01/2010 commented that a check had been undertaken of the fixed electrical wiring. We saw people are free to come and go in the home as they choose and they told us they felt safe living there. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 32 of 39 Staffing These are the outcomes that people staying in care homes should experience. They reflect the things that people have said are important to them: People have safe and appropriate support as there are enough competent, qualified staff on duty at all times. They have confidence in the staff at the home because checks have been done to make sure that they are suitable. People’s needs are met and they are supported because staff get the right training, supervision and support they need from their managers. People are supported by an effective staff team who understand and do what is expected of them. This is what people staying in this care home experience: Judgement: People using this service experience excellent quality outcomes in this area. We have made this judgement using a range of evidence, including a visit to this service. People who live in the home are protected by a thorough recruitment procedure and a well-trained, knowledgeable and supportive staff team. Evidence: There have been some changes to the staffing arrangements since the last key inspection. There is now a wakeful member of staff on duty at night. During the day there is always at least one staff member on duty. For people who need individual support from staff, this is provided additionally as needed and rotas we checked showed this. In the evenings and at weekends there are two staff on duty. The manager works additionally to the staff rota. People told us and we saw that there was sufficient staff on duty to provide people who live in the home with support when needed. Comments from staff were that they felt well supported. We saw that there are supervision and appraisal systems in place to monitor and support staff in their role. A comment from a relative described staff as being very approachable. We checked the records of recruitment of two staff members, at random. We saw a thorough recruitment procedure had been followed which had included obtaining relevant checks such as Criminal Records Bureau (CRB), Protection of Vulnerable Adults (POVA) and the taking up of references. Discussion with staff and people present at the time of the site visit confirmed that people who live in the home are involved in the staff Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 33 of 39 Evidence: interview process and can for example decide on their own questions to be asked at staff interviews. Staff records showed that there is a consistent staff team. We were told and records confirmed that there is a training programme in place for staff which includes induction specifically for working with people with learning disabilities as well as mandatory and more specific training to meet people’s needs. For example, the sample of staff training records we checked showed that staff had had training about matters such as moving and handling, managing challenging behaviour, fire safety, communication, and hydrotherapy all occurring in 2009. Records also showed the training programme included matters such as first aid, basic food hygiene, disability awareness, the protection of vulnerable adults and medication administration. They have told us 90 of staff have attained a National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) at level 2 and 75 are working toward achieving their level 3. People we spoke to told us they knew who their key workers were. These are staff who have specific responsibilities for specific people who live in the home. Comments such as all the staff are brilliant that work with me indicate there are good relationships and we saw there was a good rapport between people who live in the home and the staff on duty during our visit. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 34 of 39 Conduct and management of the home These are the outcomes that people staying in care homes should experience. They reflect the things that people have said are important to them: People have confidence in the care home because it is run and managed appropriately. People’s opinions are central to how the home develops and reviews their practice, as the home has appropriate ways of making sure they continue to get things right. The environment is safe for people and staff because health and safety practices are carried out. People get the right support from the care home because the manager runs it appropriately, with an open approach that makes them feel valued and respected. They are safeguarded because the home follows clear financial and accounting procedures, keeps records appropriately and makes sure staff understand the way things should be done. This is what people staying in this care home experience: Judgement: People using this service experience excellent quality outcomes in this area. We have made this judgement using a range of evidence, including a visit to this service. This is a well managed service which promotes the health, welfare and safety of the people who live in it and actively seeks their views to contribute to its development. Evidence: There has been no changes to the management arrangements. The registered manager has many years of experience working in the care industry and with people who have a learning disability and she holds National Vocational Qualifications. Records showed she involves herself in training to keep herself updated and discussions with her confirmed this. For example, both she and her deputy have attended training with regard to legislation about people’s capacity to make decisions and their rights. She is also responsible for managing another service in the same organisation which is located next door and divides her time flexibly between the two services. Information we received from people who use the service and their relatives showed they knew who was in charge and felt able to tell staff or the manager if they had a problem. One person told us they had made a complaint recently and it had been dealt with and resolved. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 35 of 39 Evidence: We were told and records confirmed there are various ways in which people can make their views known. For example, at house meetings or at peoples individual review meetings. There are a range of systems in place to monitor the quality of the service including the Pointers committee, which is run by and for people who use the organisations services. Representatives from various services can sit on this committee if they choose to. There are also regular monthly visits from a senior manager who assesses and monitors areas such as staffing, complaints, social and community issues and building and maintenance issues. Records are in place to show these are carried out monthly. They also use a European Foundation Quality Management Model (EQFM) to monitor the standard of the service and have achieved Investors in People award. We saw that they use questionnaires with people who use the service as another means of obtaining their views and that these are available in symbol form for people who prefer to communicate in this way. Surveys were last carried out in November 2009. They have told us they have a range of policies and procedures they follow so that people who live and work in the home are safe. Records showed that risk assessments are carried out in relation to individual needs of people who live in the home, the activities they carry out and of the environment. The sample of records we saw showed that the staff training programme includes health and safety matters, such as moving and handling and dealing with challenging behaviour. They have also confirmed that regular checks are carried out to make sure equipment is in good working order. For example, records kept of fire safety showed that tests of the alarm system are carried out weekly and anyone present is involved in practising the drill procedure, weekly checks of fire equipment are made and a certificate was in place to show the fire alarm system was serviced in December 2009. People told us they liked living at Oak Lodge. Comments made about what the home does well include look after me and care for me and make it comfortable for me and care about me. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 36 of 39 Are there any outstanding requirements from the last inspection? Yes No Outstanding statutory requirements These are requirements that were set at the previous inspection, but have still not been met. They say what the registered person had to do to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, Care Homes Regulations 2001 and the National Minimum Standards. No Standard Regulation Requirement Timescale for action Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 37 of 39 Requirements and recommendations from this inspection Immediate requirements: These are immediate requirements that were set on the day we visited this care home. The registered person had to meet these within 48 hours. No Standard Regulation Description Timescale for action Statutory requirements These requirements set out what the registered person must do to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, Care Homes Regulations 2001 and the National Minimum Standards. The registered person(s) must do this within the timescales we have set No Standard Regulation Description Timescale for action Recommendations These recommendations are taken from the best practice described in the National Minimum Standards and the registered person(s) should consider them as a way of improving their service. No Refer to Standard Good Practice Recommendations Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 38 of 39 Helpline: Telephone: 03000 616161 or Email: enquiries@cqc.org.uk Web: www.cqc.org.uk We want people to be able to access this information. If you would like a summary in a different format or language please contact our helpline or go to our website. © Care Quality Commission 2010 This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part in any format or medium for non-commercial purposes, provided that it is reproduced accurately and not used in a derogatory manner or in a misleading context. 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