This inspection took place on 13 September and 13 October 2017. Our first visit was unannounced. This meant the service did not know we would be visiting.

The service provides personal care and support for up to six people within a small care home setting. It specialises in providing care to people who have a learning disability. There were six people using the service at the time of our inspection.

This was our first inspection of the home since changes were made to its registration with CQC in October 2016.

The home had 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.

People told us they liked living at St Ann’s Lodge and said staff were kind and caring towards them. There was a relaxed friendly and homely atmosphere when we visited.

Relatives of people said the service provided was exceptional and went ‘above and beyond’ in responding to each person's needs and aspirations.

People received care and support from a long standing group of managers and staff who knew them very well and understood their needs and preferences. Each person had accessible individualised support plans to make sure they received the support they required. The service was responsive to people’s changing needs and linked well with external health professionals to help ensure positive outcomes for people.

There were clear procedures in place to recognise and respond to abuse and staff had been trained in how to follow these. Staffing numbers were sufficient to help make sure people were kept safe.

People were supported to have their health needs met. We saw that people’s prescribed medicines were being stored securely and managed safely.

The registered manager supported staff to deliver appropriate care and support. Staff attended regular training which gave them the knowledge and skills to support people effectively. Staff had received training in the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005 and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS).

There was a system in place for dealing with people’s concerns and complaints. People and their relatives told us they knew how to complain and felt confident that the registered manager would respond and take appropriate action.

There were suitable systems in place to monitor the safety and quality of the service and drive improvement where required.