About the service:

Cumberland Lodge offers care and support for up to 14 people who are living with mental health issues. Nursing care is not offered at Cumberland Lodge. At the time of our inspection, there were 14 people living at the service, including two people who were in hospital.

People’s experience of using this service:

People benefitted from a service which was well-run and where the management team had a shared vision which focused on people’s needs. The registered manager and their deputy worked effectively together, complementing each other well. The provider demonstrated a commitment to people’s wellbeing and to ensuring people were treated with dignity and lived in a comfortable environment. We received consistently positive feedback from people, staff and external professionals about the service.

There were detailed checks on the quality of the service which took into account people’s views about the support they received. These measures reduced the risk of harm to people, staff and the public. The registered manager used learning from mistakes, quality checks and best practice to make the service better.

Staff supported people to remain safe, whilst respecting their right to independence. They knew what to do if they were concerned about a person’s safety. Risk was well assessed and managed at the service.

There were enough staff to meet people’s needs. Recruitment records were poorly ordered; however, the registered manager was able to demonstrate that staff had been recruited safely.

There were effective systems in place to ensure people received the necessary support with their medicine. The registered manager and their deputy continually reviewed and improved these systems.

Staff were skilled at providing care for people and received the required training to develop their knowledge and expertise. Detailed care plans provided practical advice about how to meet people’s needs. Staff were well supported and worked effectively as a team.

Staff worked well with people and external professionals to promote health and wellbeing at the service. People made choices about what they ate and drank, and received the necessary support to manage any specialist nutritional needs.

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.

The atmosphere at the service was calm and people felt at ease with the staff who supported them. Staff were compassionate and considerate about people’s individual circumstances. There was a positive focus throughout the service on the importance of maintaining and promoting independence.

Support was tailored around people’s individual needs. Staff regularly reviewed and adapted support when these needs changed. Staff supported people to develop and pursue their interests. The registered manager had increased staffing so that people could receive the necessary support to visit the local community.

People could make complaints if they were unhappy with the support they received. The registered manager and provider ensured there were other opportunities to give feedback where people did not feel able to complain.

Rating at last inspection: Good. The last report was published on 24 June 2016.

Why we inspected: This was a planned inspection to check that this service remained Good.

Follow up: We will continue to monitor this service to ensure people receive care which meets their needs.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk.

The Inspection took place on the 25 May 2016.

Cumberland lodge provides accommodation and personal care without nursing for up to 13 persons who may have mental health needs. At the time of our inspection 13 people were living at the service.

The service had 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.

Care and treatment was planned and delivered in a way that was intended to ensure people's safety and welfare. People were cared for safely by staff who had been recruited and employed after appropriate checks had been completed. People’s needs were met by sufficient numbers of staff. Medication was dispensed by staff who had received training to do so.

People were safeguarded from the potential of harm and their freedoms protected. Staff were provided with training in Safeguarding Adults from abuse, Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). The manager knew how to make a referral if required.

People had sufficient amounts to eat and drink to ensure that their dietary and nutrition needs were met. The service worked well with other professionals to ensure that people's health needs were met. People's care records showed that, where appropriate, support and guidance was sought from health care professionals, including a doctor and community mental health nurse.

Staff were supportive to people's needs and were able to demonstrate that they knew people well. Staff treated people with dignity and respect.

People were supported with activities which interested them. These activities were diverse to meet people’s social needs. People knew how to make a complaint and these had been resolved efficiently and quickly.

The service had a number of ways of gathering people’s views including using questionnaires and by talking with people, relatives, staff, and other health professionals. The manager carried out a number of quality monitoring audits to help ensure the service was running effectively and to make continual improvements.

We found that people that used the service were consulted about their care, support needs and preferences. We found that the provider sought at all times to provide individualised care to people who used the service.

We found that staff had been well trained and saw that they had a good understanding of people's individual needs. People who used the service were supported to enjoy good levels of activity and occupation to get out and about in the local community. People using the service told us that they were very happy with the level of support provided.

People told us that they felt safe and secure with the staff that worked at Cumberland Lodge. One person told us "They really help me." People told us that they were happy with the quality of the service provided. We found that the provider consulted with people and monitored the service to ensure that standards would be maintained.

People living in Cumberland Lodge were encouraged to understand their needs and be involved in saying how they wished their needs to be met. People told us that they were happy with the care and support provided.

From speaking with staff and people living in Cumberland Lodge and observing day to day activities we saw that people had good relationships with one another. People using the service said that staff were understanding and good. Staff had a very good awareness and understanding of people's individual needs. This will ensure that people have their individual needs met.

Staff said that they were well supported and had opportunities for training. Development was however needed to ensure that staff received regular supervision of their practice and to ensure that their training was kept up to date.

People were happy with the quality of the service but systems were not in place to show how the provider monitors the quality, consistency and safety of the service on an ongoing basis.

When we visited the service in November 2011 people told us that they felt comfortable and content living at Cumberland Lodge. They liked the fact that most of the staff had worked at the service for a long time and were familiar to them. People said that they could talk to any of the staff, the manager or the provider about anything.

People said that they made their own choices and decisions about what they did and where they went.

Most of the people living in Cumberland Lodge have lived there for many years. People told us that they felt comfortable and content living at Cumberland Lodge. They liked the fact that most of the staff had worked at the home for a long time and were familiar to them. People said that they could talk to any of the staff, the manager or the provider about anything.

People said that they made their own choices and decisions about what they did and where they went.