Keo Lodge is a care home that provides accommodation and personal care for up to 10 men with a learning disability and/or mental health diagnosis. Accommodation is provided over three floors with two independent living flats on the second floor.

This inspection was carried out on 18 May 2017, was unannounced and carried out by one inspector. There were ten people living in the home at the time of our inspection.

At the last inspection in July 2014, the service was rated Good.

At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

People using the service felt safe. People were supported by staff that were able to recognise signs and symptoms of abuse and were able to raise their concerns. People were also safe because risks associated with their needs were identified and managed by staff in line with the management plans in place. There were sufficient numbers of safely recruited staff to meet people’s needs. People were supported to receive their medicines as prescribed.

People were supported by staff that had the skills and knowledge to provide effective care and support. 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 support this practice. People were supported to have food and drinks that met their needs and that fulfilled individual preferences. People were supported to have their health needs met by a variety of healthcare professionals.

People were supported by staff that were caring and kind and that knew people’s individual likes and dislikes. People were spoken with in a respectful and dignified way and their privacy was promoted as far as possible. People were supported to develop their independence to enable them to have greater control over their day to day lives.

People received a service that was responsive to their changing needs and wishes and that listened to the views of people so that the service could be adapted to meet their needs.

People received a good quality service that showed some elements of development towards an outstanding quality of service. The registered manager and provider provided good leadership so that people and staff were happy and were able to influence the direction of the service. The quality of the service was monitored regularly to ensure shortfalls were identified and addressed in a timely manner. There were good relationships with other professionals providing a service to the people living there.

Keo Lodge is a care home that provides accommodation and personal care for up to 10 men with a learning disability and/or mental health diagnosis. Accommodation is provided over three floors with two independent living flats on the second floor.

This inspection was carried out on 18 May 2017, was unannounced and carried out by one inspector. There were ten people living in the home at the time of our inspection.

At the last inspection in July 2014, the service was rated Good.

At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

People using the service felt safe. People were supported by staff that were able to recognise signs and symptoms of abuse and were able to raise their concerns. People were also safe because risks associated with their needs were identified and managed by staff in line with the management plans in place. There were sufficient numbers of safely recruited staff to meet people’s needs. People were supported to receive their medicines as prescribed.

People were supported by staff that had the skills and knowledge to provide effective care and support. 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 support this practice. People were supported to have food and drinks that met their needs and that fulfilled individual preferences. People were supported to have their health needs met by a variety of healthcare professionals.

People were supported by staff that were caring and kind and that knew people’s individual likes and dislikes. People were spoken with in a respectful and dignified way and their privacy was promoted as far as possible. People were supported to develop their independence to enable them to have greater control over their day to day lives.

People received a service that was responsive to their changing needs and wishes and that listened to the views of people so that the service could be adapted to meet their needs.

People received a good quality service that showed some elements of development towards an outstanding quality of service. The registered manager and provider provided good leadership so that people and staff were happy and were able to influence the direction of the service. The quality of the service was monitored regularly to ensure shortfalls were identified and addressed in a timely manner. There were good relationships with other professionals providing a service to the people living there.

During this inspection we spoke to five people, seven staff and one relative. We looked at four care records and four staff files. This helped us to make our judgements. Nine people were using the service at the time of the inspection.

People’s views and experiences were taken into account in the way the service was provided and delivered in relation to their care. We saw people being consulted about what they would like to do. People’s preferences were documented to inform staff. One person told us: “Staff treat me with respect and observe my dignity.”

People experienced care, treatment and support that met their needs. People were encouraged to remain as independent as possible and to participate in a range of activities and outings. People’s changing needs were recognised and appropriate specialist intervention was sought. One relative told us: “I am pleased with the care, the staff are good.” The provider ensured people’s health and welfare needs were met.

People were kept safe from the risk of abuse. The service had made arrangements to ensure that both staff and people understood what abuse was and how to report. One person told us: “I’ve been in here four years and I feel safe here”.

People experienced a service which was monitored to improve its quality. Complaints and comments were listened to and acted on to people’s satisfaction. The provider sought the opinions of people, their representatives and staff to make improvements within the service.

During our inspection we were able to speak with one person who used the service and two relatives. We spoke with three staff who were involved in direct care and three other members of staff. There were eight people and nine staff supporting them at the service on our inspection.

The provider had been able to manage peoples care and welfare needs successfully, working in partnership with other healthcare professionals and peoples families. One visitor told us, “They have my relative’s best interest in mind and we work well together”. People had opportunities to be part of their local community and maintain strong family links.

Staff were trained and skilled to support people using the service. People within the service were aware of what abuse was and how to report it. Staff displayed a good understanding of how to protect people and attended regular training updates.

Staff received support to maintain and increase their skills and qualifications. Staff had mandatory training and other professional development. They were encouraged to undertake additional related training to support them in their roles. One staff member told us that support arrangements were good and that senior staff were always accessible.

The complaints arrangements met people’s needs and were well used by people within the service. The provider had ensured that it was accessible and engendered a culture of no blame, being investigated in a timely and impartial manner.

During our visit, we talked with two of the people living at Keo Lodge. They indicated to us that they were happy living at the home. They told us “I like it here”, “It’s not too bad.” They also said “Staff are generally OK, most of them listen to what I have to say.” They also told us “The food here’s not too bad.”

People told us that staff involved them in their care, as ”I can go to my review meetings if I want to.” They were also supported to take part in activities in the local community and one person told us “I get to go out when I want to.”

They said staff supported them to manage their health by “remind(ing) me to take my tablets” and if they did not feel well, “I go to the doctor.”