Archived: Dimensions Loddon House

Updated 20 July 2015

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

This unannounced inspection which took place on 16 June 2015 was completed by one inspector.

Before the inspection we looked at all the information we have collected about the service. This included notifications the registered manager had sent us. A notification is information about important events which the service is required to tell us about by law.

We looked at the three care plans, daily notes and other documentation, such as medication records, relating to people who use the service. In addition we looked at quality assurance audit reports, health and safety documentation and a sample of staff records.

We spoke briefly with people who live in the service. We received written comments from one family member and a health professional. Additionally we spoke with two staff members, the assistant locality manager and the registered manager. We looked at all the information held about the three people who live in the service and observed the care they were offered during our visit.

Updated 20 July 2015

This was an unannounced inspection which took place on 16 June 2015.

Dimensions- Loddon House is registered to provide care for up to four people. The home provides a service for people with learning and associated behavioural and physical disabilities. There were three people living in the service on the day of the visit. The service had ground and first floor accommodation. The bedrooms do not have en-suite facilities.

There is a registered manager running the service. 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 were kept as safe as possible. Care workers were trained in and understood how to protect people in their care from harm or abuse. Individual and general risks to people were identified and managed appropriately. The home had a stable staff group who had built strong relationships with people who lived there. Staff members had an in-depth knowledge of people and their needs. The staff team were well supported by the registered manager and other senior staff to ensure they were able to offer appropriate, safe care to people.

People were supported and encouraged to look after their health. Care staff were skilled in using people’s individual communication methods and in helping them to make as many decisions for themselves as they could. People were supported to be as independent as they were able to be, as safely as possible.

Peoples’ rights were recognised and maintained. The service understood the relevance of the Mental Capacity Act 2005, Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) and consent issues which related to the people in their care. The Mental Capacity Act 2005 legislation provides a legal framework that sets out how to act to support people who do not have capacity to make a specific decision. DoLS provide a lawful way to deprive someone of their liberty, provided it is in their own best interests or is necessary to keep them from harm. Appropriate DoLS applications were made to the local authority.

People were offered support by caring, kind and patient staff. Staffing ratios meant that people’s needs were met and their requests for help or attention were responded to quickly. People were given the opportunity to participate in a variety of individualised activities which they chose and enjoyed. Care staff understood how to maintain and promote people’s privacy and dignity and respected them at all times. The individualised care planning ensured people’s equality and diversity was respected.

Care staff told us the home was well managed and had an open and positive culture. The registered manager was approachable and staff were confident to discuss any issues with her. The registered manager and staff team made sure that the quality of the service they offered was always maintained and improved when possible.