Norcott Lodge is a residential care home for nine people living with a range of complex needs. There are seven en-suite bedrooms with shared access to a kitchen and two dining and lounge areas, as well as two self-contained flats with their own kitchen, dining and lounge areas. People have the opportunity to live within small, personalised accommodation with the support of staff. There were nine people living at the home at the time of our inspection.

At our last inspection we rated the service good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the 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.

At this inspection we found the service remained good.

On the day of our inspection a registered manager was 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 were safe and relatives verified this. Safeguarding procedures were in place and staff knew what to do if safeguarding concerns were identified.

Assessments identifying risks to people and management plans to reduce those risks were in place to ensure people’s safety.

There were sufficient staffing levels to meet people’s needs and provide a flexible service.

Staff had received the training they required for their job to enable them to meet people’s needs and were receiving regular supervisions.

Systems were in place to assess, monitor and improve the quality of the service and areas for improvement were identified during internal audits and actions taken.

People’s medicines were managed safely.

The provider was compliant with the Mental Capacity Act 2015, people had decision specific mental capacity assessments and best interest decisions were routinely completed.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible.

People were provided with personalised care and support. People’s needs in relation to the protected characteristics under the Equalities Act 2010, were taken into account in the planning of their care. People's communication needs were assessed and staff adapted their communication to better meet people’s needs.

People’s food and fluid was monitored to ensure they ate a diet which met their individual dietary needs. People were supported to access healthcare services to maintain their health and wellbeing.

People and their relatives told us staff were kind and caring and people’s privacy and dignity was respected by staff.

Staff told us they felt supported by the management team and the team communicated regularly and effectively. People, relatives and staff had confidence in the leadership of the service.

People lived in a service which had been adapted to meet their needs and was focussed on providing high quality care that improved the wellbeing and independence of people living in the home. The service worked in partnership with other agencies to support care provision.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

This inspection took place on 12 April 2016 and was unannounced. This was the first inspection of Norcott Lodge.

Norcott Lodge is registered to provide personal care and accommodation for up to nine people. There are seven en-suite bedrooms with shared access to kitchen, dining and lounge areas, as well as two self-contained flats with their own kitchen, dining and lounge areas. This means people have the opportunity to live within small, personalised accommodation but with the support of staff. There were nine people living at the home at the time of the inspection.

The previous registered manager for the home had been promoted within the company and there was a new manager, who had been in post for two weeks. The new manager advised they would be applying to become the registered manager. 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 and their relatives told us they felt safe living at Norcott Lodge. Staff were able to recognise potential signs of abuse and had received safeguarding training so they understood the appropriate policies and procedures in order to help keep people safe.

Staff were recruited safely and trained appropriately. There were enough staff to meet people’s needs. Staff were offered opportunities for self-development.

Medicines were stored and administered safely and appropriately and staff who were responsible for administering medicines had been trained to do so.

Staff received a thorough induction and ongoing training to ensure they were able to provide effective support to people. Staff were supported in their roles.

Where people lacked capacity to make specific decisions, a mental capacity assessment had been undertaken and decisions were made in people’s best interest, in accordance with the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

People were encouraged and supported to maintain a healthy lifestyle, for example through healthy eating.

Staff knew people well and people’s privacy and dignity were respected. People’s cultural and religious needs were considered and respected. Staff were caring in their approach and there was a positive atmosphere in the home.

Care and support was provided to people in a personalised way and this was reviewed regularly. People were involved in developing and reviewing their care and support.

People were enabled to develop life skills and to become more independent through work, education and training. People were encouraged to develop and achieve their goals.

Regular checks and audits took place to try to continually improve the home. The manager, although new in post, had held meetings with staff and with people who lived at the home, with a view to assessing and improving quality and there was a history of good engagement with people and their relatives.