Windmill Lodge provides accommodation and care for six men with learning disabilities. At the time of the inspection, five people were living at Windmill Lodge.

At the last inspection the service was rated good. At this inspection we found the service remained good.

People told us they felt safe living at Windmill Lodge. Risks to people were identified, reviewed and managed appropriately. There were enough staff to meet people’s needs and the registered manager reviewed staffing levels weekly. Safe recruitment practices were in place. There were suitable arrangements for the safe storage and management of people’s medicines.

Staff received appropriate training, support and development to carry out their role effectively. People’s nutritional and hydration needs were managed effectively. People were offered choices and their views about the care they received were sought. The service was meeting the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). People were supported to have maximum choice and control over their lives. People who lived at Windmill Lodge had access to health care professionals and were supported to attend appointments.

People told us and we observed that they were treated with kindness by staff who respected their privacy and upheld their dignity. People had regular meetings and daily opportunities to feedback on how they were feeling. People were involved in decisions about the care and support they wanted. People discussed end of life care decisions with staff to ensure their decisions were documented.

People felt supported and received personalised care that met their individual needs. People were given appropriate support and encouragement to access meaningful activities and follow their individual interests. The registered manager`s vision and values about the service they provided were based on person centred care. People told us they knew how to complain and were supported daily to discuss any issues they may have had.

The registered manager promoted an open, transparent and inclusive culture within the service. People and staff were encouraged to have their say to improve the way the service operated. There were quality assurance systems in place and shortfalls identified were promptly acted on to improve the service.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

Windmill Lodge provides accommodation and care for six men with learning disabilities. At the time of the inspection, five people were living at Windmill Lodge.

At the last inspection the service was rated good. At this inspection we found the service remained good.

People told us they felt safe living at Windmill Lodge. Risks to people were identified, reviewed and managed appropriately. There were enough staff to meet people’s needs and the registered manager reviewed staffing levels weekly. Safe recruitment practices were in place. There were suitable arrangements for the safe storage and management of people’s medicines.

Staff received appropriate training, support and development to carry out their role effectively. People’s nutritional and hydration needs were managed effectively. People were offered choices and their views about the care they received were sought. The service was meeting the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). People were supported to have maximum choice and control over their lives. People who lived at Windmill Lodge had access to health care professionals and were supported to attend appointments.

People told us and we observed that they were treated with kindness by staff who respected their privacy and upheld their dignity. People had regular meetings and daily opportunities to feedback on how they were feeling. People were involved in decisions about the care and support they wanted. People discussed end of life care decisions with staff to ensure their decisions were documented.

People felt supported and received personalised care that met their individual needs. People were given appropriate support and encouragement to access meaningful activities and follow their individual interests. The registered manager`s vision and values about the service they provided were based on person centred care. People told us they knew how to complain and were supported daily to discuss any issues they may have had.

The registered manager promoted an open, transparent and inclusive culture within the service. People and staff were encouraged to have their say to improve the way the service operated. There were quality assurance systems in place and shortfalls identified were promptly acted on to improve the service.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

During our inspection on 5 September 2013, we spoke with the deputy manager, three members of staff and four people who lived at the service. The people we spoke with told us they were able to make choices about whether they wished to participate in activities. They all told us they enjoyed living at Windmill Lodge and were looking forward to their forth coming holiday.

We observed that people showed they were content living at this home and that they had good relationships with the staff. They showed that they felt safe, and were satisfied with the service being provided. There was laughter and friendly banter between staff and people living in the home during our inspection.

Care records we looked at were well written and had pictures to help people understand the care and support being provided.

Medication procedures and records were well managed and thorough checks carried out to prevent any errors.

Staffing levels were adequate to meet people’s needs and the staff felt well supported and received appropriate training to ensure their skills and knowledge remained up to date and in line with best practice.

People were given the opportunity to raise any concerns they had about their care and support.

People told us that they liked living at the home. They said that they choose what they would like to eat, when they get up and go to bed, where they go on holiday and what activities they undertake. One person, when asked, "Is there anywhere else that you go out" replied, "Lots of places." People said "I like it here." "This is a good home." and when asked "Do the staff listen to you", a person replied "Yes." People felt that they were well looked after by staff.

We observed that the way in which people were spoken to and written about by staff was respectful. In many instances people were supported with pictorial information to aid their understanding. We saw that each person had an individual plan of care in place supported by risk assessments. There were clear guidelines for staff about the management of challenging behaviour.

Safeguarding from abuse was explained to people using the service and they were encouraged to speak up about anything they were not happy about. They felt protected by staff. One person said, "If anything worries me I talk to the staff straight away."

Staff were well trained and supervised and demonstrated a positive approach to their work. Quality in the home was monitored in a number of different ways and comments and suggestions received were acted upon.