We carried out an unannounced inspection at Palm Lodge Residential Care Home on 22 March 2017. The home provides accommodation and personal care for up to five people with mental health needs. At the time of our inspection there were five people living in the home.

At the last inspection on 02 June 2015 we rated the service Good. At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

There was a registered manager in post. 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. The registered manager was also the provider.

People told us they were safe and their needs were met by staff employed at the service. Staff were knowledgeable of people`s needs. People and staff were aware of safeguarding processes and how to report any concerns to the registered manager or local safeguarding authorities.

Staff and the registered manager were aware of people’s choices and provided people with support in a person centred way.

The provider had a robust recruitment process in place which ensured that qualified and experience staff were employed at the home. Staff received training and support and were aware of their responsibilities when providing care and support to people at the service.

People were involved in the development and the review of their care and support plans. Support plans were detailed and descriptive of how people wished to be supported. People were supported to take decisions about their care and be independent.

People were supported to eat and drink well. People told us they were supported, to access healthcare professionals such as their GP as and when required. Staff responded appropriately to people`s changing needs by accessing support as required.

People received appropriate support from staff to take their medicines safely.

The registered manager carried out regular audits and surveys to ensure they kept a close monitoring on the quality of the services they provided.

We carried out an unannounced inspection at Palm Lodge Residential Care Home on 22 March 2017. The home provides accommodation and personal care for up to five people with mental health needs. At the time of our inspection there were five people living in the home.

At the last inspection on 02 June 2015 we rated the service Good. At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

There was a registered manager in post. 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. The registered manager was also the provider.

People told us they were safe and their needs were met by staff employed at the service. Staff were knowledgeable of people`s needs. People and staff were aware of safeguarding processes and how to report any concerns to the registered manager or local safeguarding authorities.

Staff and the registered manager were aware of people’s choices and provided people with support in a person centred way.

The provider had a robust recruitment process in place which ensured that qualified and experience staff were employed at the home. Staff received training and support and were aware of their responsibilities when providing care and support to people at the service.

People were involved in the development and the review of their care and support plans. Support plans were detailed and descriptive of how people wished to be supported. People were supported to take decisions about their care and be independent.

People were supported to eat and drink well. People told us they were supported, to access healthcare professionals such as their GP as and when required. Staff responded appropriately to people`s changing needs by accessing support as required.

People received appropriate support from staff to take their medicines safely.

The registered manager carried out regular audits and surveys to ensure they kept a close monitoring on the quality of the services they provided.

We used the information we had gathered to answer the five questions we always ask: Is the service safe? Is the service effective? Is the service caring? Is the service responsive? Is the service well-led?

This is a summary of what we found:

On the day of our inspection there were three people who lived in the care home. We spoke with one person as the other two people were not available to talk to us. One person had gone out for the day and the other person was resting in their room. People from the sister home (Bowmans Lodge) spent part of the day at Palm Lodge where planned activities were held. We spoke with two of the three people who had visited the home on the day of our inspection.

Is the service safe?

The people we spoke with said that they had been involved in the decisions about their care and support. They said that their privacy and dignity were respected. One person said “We are well looked after. The staff are brilliant. The food is nice and I like living here.”

We found that people's care needs had been assessed and met appropriately to ensure their safety and wellbeing. Risk assessments had been carried out and reviewed to reflect any changes to the needs of people who used the service. Health and safety audits were carried out which ensured that people lived in a safe and comfortable environment.

However, we found that some areas of the home had not been maintained to appropriate standards of cleanliness and hygiene. This was necessary to ensure that people were protected against the risks of cross infection.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) monitors the operation of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) which applies to care homes. No applications had been submitted under this system. We saw evidence that staff had received training in Mental Capacity Act and DoLS and there were appropriate policies in place. The manager stated that they were aware of the process for making a DoLS application if required.

Is the service effective?

People we spoke with expressed their satisfaction with the care and support they received. They felt that their needs were met. One person said “The staff are brilliant. There is nothing too much to ask.” People had their own keys to the home and to their bedrooms. This enabled them to live as independently as possible. Staff had received relevant training so that they were competent in their roles.

Is the service caring?

People’s privacy and dignity was respected and their independence promoted. People told us that their needs had been met and that the staff were caring and helpful. We observed that there was a good interaction between staff members and people. One person said "I am involved in my care plans and I make the decisions about my care and support."

Is the service responsive?

People had been involved in the decisions about their care and any changes in their care needs had been discussed with them. The care plans we reviewed demonstrated that people's needs had been assessed and met appropriately. People accessed amenities and facilities in the local community.

Is the service well-led?

The home carried out an annual questionnaire survey of people who used the service, their relatives and the staff. The feedback from the surveys had been positive. People said that they had regular ‘residents’ meetings and discussed issues relating to the day to day running of the home. They said they felt that their views were listened to and acted on. Regular audits had been carried out to ensure that people’s needs were met and that they lived in a safe and comfortable environment. However, the audit system for infection control had not been effective.

People we spoke with said that they were happy with the care and support they received. One person said, "It's good here. It's quiet and peaceful. I go out every day. The staff are marvellous and the food is good." Another person said, "The staff are nice. They are caring, and understand our problems. They are supportive and helpful. I have no concerns."

We found that the home was meeting the needs of people appropriately. The administration and management of medicines was kept in good order. There was a robust employment system in place, and records were maintained safely and securely and were kept up to date.

The people we spoke with told us that their privacy and dignity had been respected. They also said they had been well cared for, and that they did not have any concerns or complaints. The people we spoke with said that they were happy with the help and support they had received and were complimentary about the staff, food and the variety of activities that had been provided for them. People who use the service felt that their views had been listened to and acted on and said that they were happy with the quality of service that had been provided for them.