Archived: Wolves Lodge

Updated 19 October 2018

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.

The inspection took place on 11 September 2018. It was an announced inspection carried out by one inspector. We gave the registered manager 24 hours’ notice of our intention to inspect because the service is small and we wanted to make sure someone was available.

Before the inspection we reviewed the information, we held about the service. We reviewed the Provider Information Return (PIR). 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 also looked at notifications. Providers are required to notify the Care Quality Commission about events and incidents that occur including unexpected deaths, injuries to people receiving care and safeguarding matters.

The service provides care and support to people who have complex needs, which meant they could not always readily tell us about their experiences. They communicated with us in different ways, such as facial expressions, signs and gestures and used communication aids. On the day of the inspection we observed the way people interacted with the management team and staff.

We spoke with the registered manager, the provider’s nominated individual and four staff. We received feedback from three health and social care professionals. We reviewed one person’s care plan and medication administration records (MAR), five staff files and other records relating to the quality and safety of the service.

Updated 19 October 2018

Wolves 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.

Wolves Lodge is registered to provide care and support to three people with learning disabilities and autism. This is a transition service for young adults and young people moving from children’s to adult’s services.

The care service has been developed and designed in line with the values that underpin the Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These values include choice, promotion of independence and inclusion. People with learning disabilities and autism using the service can live as ordinary a life as any citizen.

At the time of our announced inspection there was one person who used the service. We gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection as we needed to be sure that someone would be present.

At our last inspection on 24 June 2016, we rated the service overall Good. The key questions Safe, Caring, Responsive and Well Led were rated good. The key question Effective was rated Requires Improvement as not all staff had received the training and supervision needed to carry out their roles.

At this inspection on 11 September 2018, we found that improvements had been made and sustained and Effective is now rated as Good. We found the evidence continued to support the overall rating of Good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

Staff understood their roles and responsibilities in keeping people safe. They were trained and supported to meet people’s needs. Staff were available when people needed assistance and had been recruited safely.

Staff had developed good relationships with people. Staff consistently protected people’s privacy and dignity and promoted their independence.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

People received care that was personalised and responsive to their needs. They participated in meaningful activities and were supported to pursue their interests and educational studies. The service listened to people’s experiences, concerns and complaints and acted where needed.

People were enabled to eat and drink enough to maintain a balanced diet. They were also supported to maintain good health and access healthcare services.

The registered manager was passionate and committed to delivering high quality care and support to people. They were accessible, supportive and had good leadership skills. Staff were aware of the values of the provider and understood their roles and responsibilities. Morale was good within the workforce.

Systems were in place to receive, record, store and administer medicines safely. Where people required assistance to take their medicines there were arrangements in place to provide this support safely.

The design and layout of the building was hazard free and met the needs of people who lived there. All areas of the home were clean and in a good state of repair with equipment maintained. Systems were in place to minimise the risks to people, including from abuse, accessing the community and with their medicines.

A system of audits, both internal and external, ensured the provider had oversight of the quality and safety of the service and shortfalls were identified and addressed. There was a culture of listening to people and positively learning from events so similar incidents were not repeated. As a result, the quality of the service continued to develop.