People’s experience of using this service:

People told us they felt safe living at the home. Staff demonstrated a clear understanding of abuse and said they would talk to the management or external bodies immediately if they had any concerns. Risk assessments were in place, which identified possible risks and how to manage them.

Support plans and staffing levels were changed when people’s needs changed or if there were lessons to be learnt following incidents.

Staff told us they received the support and training they needed to help them do their jobs well. Managers were proactive in ensuring staff completed training relevant to the needs of people living at the service. People had access to food and drink throughout the day and could choose what they had to eat. The environment was designed to allow people to socialise with others or spend time on their own and there were facilities for people to practice independent living skills.

People’s independence was maintained and promoted and staff respected people’s dignity and privacy. People were supported to keep in touch with friends and relatives where they so wished and we saw that interactions between people and staff were warm and respectful.

People knew how to complain or raise concerns. Complaints were investigated thoroughly. Staff knew people’s likes and routines well and delivered care and support in line with people’s preferences.

The provider had systems in place to monitor the quality of the service. Actions were taken and improvements were made when required. People and staff felt able to speak to the registered manager at any time if they needed help and assistance and the provider ensured there was 24 hour support available.

Rating at last inspection:

At the last inspection, the service was rated Good (19 April 2016)

About the service:

Sycamore Lodge is a residential care home that provides personal care and support for people with mental health difficulties. At the time of the inspection there were 12 people using the service.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Further details about the service can be found in the full report.

Why we inspected:

This was a planned inspection based on the rating at the last inspection.

Enforcement:

No enforcement action was required.

Follow up:

We will continue to monitor the service through the information we receive. If any concerning information is received we may inspect sooner.

This inspection took place on 17 November 2015 and was unannounced. At the last inspection on 16 October 2013 the provider was meeting the regulations we looked at.

Sycamore Lodge is a care home which is registered to provide care to up to 13 people. The home specialises in the care of people who have mental health needs. On the day of our inspection there were ten people living at the home.

A registered manager is 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 were protected from the risk of abuse because the provider had effective systems in place

Staff received training so that they understood the different types of abuse and what actions were needed to keep people safe.

People were protected from the risk of harm because risks to people were minimised

People were supported by adequate numbers of staff on duty.

People were supported to receive their medication as prescribed. Staff who administered medicines had received training in this.

People were supported by staff that had received the training and support they needed so that they could carry out their role effectively.

People were supported by staff that were kind and respectful. People were supported to pursue interest and hobbies that were of interest to them and encouraged to be as independent as possible.

People had access to food and drinks and were supported to have food that they enjoyed.

The provider had management systems in place to assess and monitor the quality of the service provided to people. However, they were not always effective at identifying where improvements were needed.

No one knew we would be visiting that day as our inspection was unannounced.

At the time of our inspection 11 people lived at Sycamore Lodge. During our inspection we spoke with six people who lived there and four staff.

Generally, everyone we spoke with was happy with the service provided, their care, and the staff. One person who lived there told us, “I was in another home before I came here. We could not go out. Here we can go out when we want to”. Another person said, “I like it here”.

We saw that people were treated with respect and dignity. Staff supported people wherever possible to be independent and to make choices.

We saw that people's needs had been assessed by a range of health care professionals including specialist doctors and the optician. This meant that staff had enabled people to have their health care and safety needs monitored and met.

We found that processes were in place to safeguard people who lived there from the risk of harm and abuse.

Our concerns regarding inadequate staffing levels were listened to and addressed during our inspection to ensure that people’s needs could be met and that they would be safe.

We saw that complaints processes were in place for people to use if they were not happy with the service provided.

Our inspection was unannounced, which meant that no one knew that we would be visiting. There were ten people living at the home on the day of our inspection. We spoke with seven of the people living there, the manager and three members of staff to find out their views about the service provided. We looked at two people’s records and looked around the home.

People were asked for their consent to the care and support they received and staff respected their wishes.

We saw that people were encouraged to do things for themselves so promoting their independence skills and self esteem. One person said, “It’s nice here, I can come and go as I please.”

We saw that people were supported to have regular health checks of their physical and mental health to ensure their well being.

Systems were in place to ensure that people were safeguarded from harm. We saw that people were comfortable in the company of staff. One person said, “The staff are very nice and I get on with them. They are always there to talk to so my troubles don’t build up.”

Staff received most of the training they needed and told us they were well supported in their role.

People were asked for their views about the home and these were listened to. Audits were completed and action taken where needed to make improvements.

People told us they were happy with the care and support they received and that it made a difference to their everyday lives. People told us that they were treated with respect and that care staff maintained their independence, privacy and dignity.

During the inspection people who were using the service told us:

“It’s very nice here.”

“It’s very good.”

“I go and see my family, I go by myself. I go when I want to.”

“I go out all over the place when I want to. I go by myself because I am quite sensible.”

“Going to woodwork at xx.”

People gave us comments about staff:

“Very good, very nice.”

“They are nice. They make suggestions on things that help me.”