This inspection took place on 21 January 2015 and was unannounced.

The provider is registered to provide care to up to seven people and specialises in the care of people with mental health needs. At the time of our inspection there were seven people living at the home.

The provider is required to have 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. There was a registered manager in post at the time of this inspection.

People spoken with told us they felt safe living at the home. There were enough staff on duty to meet people’s physical and social needs to reduce risks of people not receiving the support they need.

Some people maintained their independence and, after assessment to determine their safety, self administered their own medicines. All people had their prescribed medicines available to them and appropriate records were kept when medicines were administered by staff who were trained to do this.

Staff were trained in and understood the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards. The provider was meeting the requirements set out in the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards.

Staff on duty knew the people they supported. We saw they were caring towards people who lived there. Throughout our inspection we observed care centred around people’s specific needs and promoted their independence. People were involved in their care and made their own choices about how they lived their everyday lives.

Staff received on-going training and had one to one meetings with their managers about their roles so that they had the knowledge and skills to meet people’s needs. All the staff spoken with understood people’s needs, their job roles and responsibilities.

People who lived at the home were encouraged to share their opinions about the quality of the service to make sure improvements were made when needed.

The registered manager ensured positive outcomes for people were continually developed, reviewed and improved upon when needed.

There was effective arrangements in place to monitor and improve the quality of services provided to people.

At this inspection we spent time with the five people who lived at the home to gain their experiences of the care, treatment and support that they received. We saw that people were treated as individuals and supported to be involved in all aspects of their life as much as possible.

People who lived at the home told us about their experiences of life at the home. One person told us: “I've been here quite some years. It's like being home. You do your own washing, cleaning and bedroom.” Another person said: “I suggest things I'd like to do. We have a good quality of life here.”

We found people who lived at the home were safe because the staff were given clear instructions, support and guidance. Every person had an individual plan of care, based on their mental health needs, and other social and health needs.

Our observations during this inspection supported that there was enough staff available to ensure people received the right care, at the right time. We found that minimum staffing levels identified and planned for were met. There was also some flexibility to increase staffing levels when needed that made sure support was tailored to meet people’s individual needs and interests.

We found that people had their own rooms which were private and personal to them. One person who lived at the home told us: “My room is nice and I like it.” There were regular checks being completed to ensure that the premises were safe.

We found that the care, treatment and support people received was well led. People who lived at the home told us that if they were not happy with the care and support they received they would tell the manager or staff. The manager ensured positive outcomes for people were continually developed, reviewed and improved upon when needed.

We inspected Tudor Lodge and spoke with some of the people who lived there and staff. We found that people were able to express their views and had been involved in making decisions about their care and treatment. People told us they met with their key worker, “Most of the time. We discuss things together about how I am getting on, what I want to do and where we go”.

People were complimentary about the care and support that they received. People told us that the staff, “Support you with different things. If you have a problem you go to any of the staff, save you worrying about it”. People said, “I am happy living here”. "The staff are nice and they help me when I get stuck with my jobs”. People felt their individual needs were being met by the service.

We found that people who used the service were protected from the risk of abuse. People who used the service told us they felt, “Quite safe” at Tudor Lodge. We saw that staff had a kind and caring approach towards people they supported.

People who used the service were asked for their views about their care and treatment and these were acted on. People told us that they had weekly House meetings. People said, “We talk about things going on in the week. You can air your views; they (the staff) listen and act upon them”. Systems were in place to enable the trust to seek feedback from people to monitor the quality of the service provided.