The inspection took place on 11 September 2018 and was unannounced. At the time of our inspection 14 people were using the service.

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

At our last inspection in November 2015, we rated the service good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support an overall rating of good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

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

Staff received training and felt supported to deliver care and support to people in a safe and effective way. People`s medicines were managed safely by trained staff.

There were systems and processes in place to protect people from the risk of harm. People and staff were knowledgeable about how to report their concerns and how to keep safe from harm. Employment processes were robust and ensured that staff working at the service were suitable to carry out their roles.

People told us staff were kind and caring and their dignity was protected. People had been involved in planning and reviewing their care and support.

Support plans were personalised and descriptive of how people liked to be supported by staff. People`s independence was promoted and staff encouraged people to express their choices and live the life they wanted.

People had been enabled to pursue their hobbies and interests. They were involved in planning their activities and the registered manager was working to further develop possibilities and look for further opportunities for people in regard to going on holidays and other activities.

People were supported to access health services including their GP, dental appointments and other healthcare professionals as required. People`s feedback on the service was encouraged through regular meetings and surveys.

Quality monitoring procedures were in place and action was taken where improvements were identified. There were clear management arrangements in place.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

Before our inspection at Bunyan Lodge, we had received some information via our website which raised concerns about how staff were recruited to the service and the accessibility of information given to visiting professionals.

We spoke with four people about their experience of living at the home and the care and support they were offered. People told us they were happy living at the home and felt safe in the environment and with the care they were given. One person said, "It seems as though nothing is too much trouble for staff." Another said, "I can do so much more now I am here."

Some of the people were unable to express their views directly because of complex communication problems so we observed engagement between them and staff. It was evident that staff interacted positively with people and respected individual needs and abilities. We saw that people were encouraged to remain independent and were offered choices as to how they spent their free time.

It was evident from our discussions and observations that Bunyan Lodge was considered as home. We noted the staff were considerate of this when helping people. One example being that staff knocked before entering individuals' rooms, this showed that people's dignity and respect was valued.

We observed evidence of effective record keeping and robust recruitment processes and were given free access to all information we required as part of this inspection.

During our visit to Bunyan Lodge on 16 October 2012, we spoke with eight people living in the home, and three members of staff, all who told us they enjoyed living or working there. Two people said they “couldn’t fault the staff”, and three people spoke very highly of the manager. People also told us the home was relaxed and they could “please themselves” with what they did each day.

We observed staff interacting well with people and people being encouraged to maintain their independence.

At the time of our visit, there were 16 people living at Bunyan Lodge, although a number of people were out at the local day resource centre.

This inspection took place on 26 November 2015 & 14 January 2016 and was unannounced.

Bunyan Lodge provides care and support for up to 16 people with mental health needs. There were 15 people living in the service on the day of the inspection.

A registered manager was 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 felt safe living at the service. Staff had been provided with training to recognise signs of potential abuse and how to promote people’s safety.

Processes were in place to manage identifiable risks within the service and to ensure people’s freedom was not restricted unnecessarily.

The provider carried out recruitment checks on new staff to make sure they were suitable to work at the service.

Systems were in place to ensure people were supported to take their medicines safely and at the appropriate times.

Staff had been provided with the appropriate training to meet people’s assessed needs. There was a supervision framework and appraisal system in place to support staff with their personal and professional development.

Staff worked to the Mental Capacity Act 2005 key principles, which state that a person's capacity should always be assumed. Where people were unable to make decisions about their care and support, mental capacity assessments had been undertaken.

People were provided with adequate amounts of food and drink and to maintain a balanced diet. If required, people were supported by staff to access healthcare facilities.

Positive and caring relationships had been developed between people and staff. There were processes in place to enable people to express their views about their care and support needs.

Staff had a good understanding of the needs of the people they were supporting and how to ensure their privacy and dignity were promoted.

People’s needs were assessed prior to them moving into the service. This ensured that the care they received was appropriate to their needs.

A complaints procedure had been developed to inform people on how to raise concerns about the service if they needed to.

There were quality assurance systems in place to monitor the quality of the care provided and to drive continuous improvements.