Albert Lodge is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

This inspection took place on 21 August 2018 and was unannounced. This was the first inspection of the service following its registration in October 2016.

Albert Lodge provides personal care and accommodation for up to six adults with learning disabilities and mental health illness. Some people were also living with behaviours that may cause harm to themselves or others. At the time of our inspection there were five people using the service.

People living at the service were not socially excluded due to their behaviours because they were enabled to live their chosen lifestyles with intensive specialised care from staff. The service had a communal kitchen, dining/lounge room and garden.

There was a registered manager in place. 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 staff were extremely kind and caring, and their privacy and dignity was upheld and promoted. We received consistently positive feedback which showed us that people felt highly valued and respected.

Care and support was recorded in a very person-centred way with excellent emphasis on how people wished and needed to be supported. Staff fully involved people with support plans and care reviews. People were encouraged to make decisions about how their support was provided and staff were very respectful and understanding of people's rights and choices.

The service was exceptionally responsive to people's individual needs and wishes. This included innovative 'family work' sessions, enabling people to achieve their potential. There was a strong ethos of inclusivity that was promoted by staff. Independence was encouraged and supported with the aim of people moving on to supported living arrangements.

People were safeguarded from avoidable harm. Staff adhered to safeguarding adult’s procedures and reported any concerns to their manager and the local authority.

Staff had been recruited following safe policies and procedures, and there were sufficient numbers of staff employed to make sure people received the support they needed during the recovery process. Staff received appropriate training and support that enhanced the knowledge, values and life experience they had already gained. This included training on how to protect people from the risk of harm and on the provider’s recovery programme.

Staff assessed managed and reduced risks to people’s safety at the service and in the community. There were sufficient staff on duty to meet people’s needs. Staff understood and practiced the principals of Positive Behavioural Support (PBS). A method of supporting people who display, or are at risk of displaying, behaviour which challenges.

Staff were able to recognise that harmful behaviours were also a form of communication and staff had been trained to respect how people communicated their feelings. The provider gave people the opportunity to share their views by training staff to understand people's communication styles and collecting detailed data about people’s moods, facial expressions and body language.

Safe medicines management was followed and people received their medicines as prescribed. Staff protected people from the risk of infection and followed procedures to prevent and control the spread of infections.

People were supported to have choice and control over their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

Recovery