About the service:

The Coach House Lodge is a residential care home providing personal care to nine people with a learning disability or autism. At the time of the inspection the home was fully occupied.

Registering the Right Support has values which include choice, promotion of independence and inclusion. This is to ensure people with learning disabilities and autism using the service can live as ordinary a life as any citizen. The home was meeting the principles of this policy.

People’s experience of using this service:

People in the home were supported by clear and robust systems to be safe and well cared for by staff who were appropriately recruited and well trained. The care and support needs of people were well known by staff who had fully assessed any known risks and put management plans in place that were focussed on enabling the person to expand their skills and experiences.

People were supported to be engaged in a numerous and wide range of activities suited to each of them individually. Staff were committed to making sure that each person had a fulfilling life and people were protected from social isolation and encouraged to participate in and enjoy community activities. Staff were vocal in raising suggestions to help broaden people's daily life experiences.

People continued to be supported by staff who were well trained and committed to helping people. Staff were exceptionally kind and compassionate in how they supported people and were skilled in understanding people’s individual preferences. People were comfortable in the company of staff, and we noted that staff were attentive and responsive when people were ill at ease or showing signs of distress.

People were supported to do things they enjoyed and each day most of the people went out from the home to engage in a wide range of activities. There was a clear and strong culture in the home of helping people to have a full varied life. People were fully involved by staff who were exceptional in how they helped people to determine and agree how their care and support needs were to be met. Staff were aided by the communication systems in place that were accessible to people receiving support.

Staff supported people to make choices and understood their individual communication styles. People were encouraged to be independent and their privacy and dignity was respected. People were supported to be involved in their local community and village life.

People were supported by staff who knew how people expressed dissatisfaction and ensured that any such expressions were acknowledged and responded to, involving advocacy services as necessary. Relatives of people advised that they understood how to make a complaint and they were confident that they would be listened to.

The registered manager and provider had robust systems in place to monitor the quality of care which were effective. The views and opinions of people staff, relatives and professionals continued to be sought out and used to help monitor and drive up the quality of the service provided. Actions plans were developed when areas of improvement were identified.

Rating at last inspection: At the last inspection the service was rated Good (report published in August 2016).

Why we inspected: This was a scheduled inspection based on the previous rating.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

This inspection was unannounced and took place on 25 and 26 April 2016.

The Coach House provides accommodation and care for up to nine people. There were eight people living in the home when we carried out our inspection.

The home had a registered manager who was present for the inspection. 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 supported by staff to take their prescribed medicines and staff were trained to assist people with their treatment. People felt safe living in the home and staff knew how to protect them from the risk of potential harm. There were sufficient staff on duty to meet people’s needs and the provider’s recruitment procedure ensured staff were suitable to work in the home.

People were protected from the risk of harm because staff knew about the importance of keeping the environment safe. Risk assessments were in place to support staff’s understanding about maintaining people's safety.

People were cared for by staff who were trained and received one to one [supervision] sessions from the team leader and the registered manager. Staff were aware of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and when a Deprivation of Liberty Safeguard application should be applied for to protect people’s human rights. People were encouraged to make decisions about the care and support they received. They had access to healthcare services to ensure their physical and mental health needs were met. Staff were aware of people’s dietary needs and the support they required to eat and drink sufficient amounts.

People were treated with kindness and compassion and staff were aware of their care and support needs. People were encouraged to be involved in planning their care and staff respected people’s right to privacy and dignity.

Staff supported people to be involved in their assessment of their care and they were assisted to pursue their interests. There was an open culture in the home and this enabled people to share their concerns with staff and the registered manager. Complaints were well managed.

People were encouraged to be involved in the running of the home and were supported to maintain links with their local community. There was a clear leadership in the home and people and staff knew who the registered manager and regional manager were. Routine checks of the service were carried out to ensure people received a service specific to their needs.