The inspection took place on 23 August 2017. It was an announced visit, as we gave the provider notice 48 hours before the inspection. Diana Lodge provided temporary respite accommodation for up to three persons with learning disabilities who require support with personal care. There were two people staying at Diana Lodge when we inspected.

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. There were two registered managers in post within the organisation who oversaw the services. They were also the owners of the company. During the inspection we met with the residential services manager who was responsible for the everyday running of the home, and we liaised with a registered manager the next day.

The service was safe and staff understood their responsibilities to protect people from harm or abuse and had received relevant safeguarding training. Staff were confident in reporting incidents and accidents should they occur. People were safely supported to take their medicines as prescribed.

There were effective processes in place to assess, review and mitigate risks to individuals. Assessments had taken place regarding people’s individual risks and clear guidance was in place for staff to follow in order to reduce risk. Recruitment processes were in place to ensure that staff employed in the service were deemed suitable for the role.

Staff had received training in areas specific to the people they were supporting and they gained people’s consent before providing care. Staff were able to explain how they promoted choice, and supported people with making some decisions. The home complied with the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA).

Staff supported people to access healthcare services. People were encouraged to eat a healthy balanced diet and be involved with making meals and drinks.

People’s privacy and dignity were promoted and they had strong relationships with staff who listened to them. People were encouraged to be as independent as possible and make their own choices. People were engaged in a number of varied activities and events.

Staff had a thorough knowledge about the people they supported and understood how to meet their needs. People planned their care with staff, families and healthcare professionals, and their preferences were met.

The management team worked closely with the staff team and had good oversight of the service. People and their families were encouraged to give their views on the service.

There were many systems in place to monitor the quality of the service and these were used to identify any concerns so that action could be taken if needed.