The inspection took place on 12 October 2017 and was announced. We gave the registered manager of the home 48 hours’ notice of our inspection because this is a small home and we wanted to be sure people would be available when we visited.

Shepherds Lodge Residential Home provides accommodation and personal care for up to six people who have a learning disability or mental health needs. The home is in a residential area of Barrow in Furness. Accommodation is provided in single bedrooms over two floors. There are five bedrooms on the first floor of the home and one bedroom on the ground floor of the property. The home has a range of communal areas that people living there share.

There was a registered employed to oversee the day-to-day running of the home. 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.

At our last inspection of the home on 25 February and 5 March 2015, the service was rated as good. The service was meeting the fundamental standards of quality and safety. However we found one aspect of how the service was responsive to people’s needs required improving. Some people who lived in the home required support from staff to manage their behaviour. People’s care plans had not included guidance for staff in how to support an individual if a strategy to assist them to manage their behaviour was not effective. The lack of clear guidance could have led to staff members taking inappropriate action which would not respect a person’s rights.

At this inspection in October 2017 we found the service remained good. People’s care plans and the strategies to support them to manage their behaviour had been reviewed and included advice from appropriate specialist services. The staff had guidance and advice about how to support people and how to respect their rights.

People who lived in the home were safe and protected against harm. Hazards to people’s safety had been identified and actions taken to manage the risks identified. People were given information about remaining safe in a way that they could understand. The staff were trained in how to identify and report abuse.

The home was safe for people to live and work in. The premises were checked regularly to ensure they were safe and effective procedures were in place to protect people in the event of a fire.

There were enough staff to provide people’s support. The staff were trained and supported to give them the skills and knowledge to provide individuals’ care.

People were provided with meals and drinks that they enjoyed. People were supported to have a healthy diet and this had helped people to achieve and maintain a healthy weight.

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. People were included in decisions about their support and the choices they made were respected.

People were supported by a range of health services and received their medicines as their doctors had prescribed. This helped people to maintain good health.

People were treated in a caring and respectful way and their privacy and dignity were maintained. They were supported to carry out tasks themselves and to develop and maintain their independence.

Care was planned and provided to meet people’s needs. The staff knew people well and provided their support at the time they needed. The staff identified if people were feeling anxious and provided support and reassurance promptly to reduce their anxiety.

The registered manager worked in the home and maintained oversight of the quality and safety of the service. Where the service could be further improved the re

People who lived at Shepherds Lodge Residential Home told us they liked living at the home and said the staff employed there were “nice”. Everyone we spoke with said they would speak to a member of staff or the home manager if they were unhappy with any aspect of the service provided to them. People told us they made choices about their lives and the activities they followed. They said the staff in the home respected the decisions they made.

We saw that care staff in the home treated people with respect and supported them to maintain their independence. We observed that people who could not easily express their views were confident and comfortable around the staff working in the home.

People told us they felt safe living at Shepherds Lodge Residential Home and said they liked the staff who worked there.

People we spoke with said they took part in a variety of activities which they chose and which they enjoyed.

People who lived in the home told us,

“I like it here”,

“The staff are nice”,

And one person said, “The meals are nice”.

Some people who lived in the home could not easily express their views about their care or the services provided. We observed people in communal areas of the home and saw people were treated in a manner which respected their dignity, independence and rights. We saw that people were comfortable and confident with the staff on duty and appeared well cared for.

We carried out this announced inspection on 25 February and 5 March 2015. We last inspected this home in May 2013. At that inspection we found that the provider was meeting all of the regulations that we assessed.

Shepherds Lodge Residential Home provides accommodation and personal care for up to six people who have a learning disability or mental health needs. There are five bedrooms on the first floor of the home and one bedroom on the ground floor of the property. The home has a range of communal facilities which people living there share.

There was a registered manager employed in the home. 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 living in this home. However, we found that the strategies used to support people to manage behaviours that challenged the service were not always effective. Care staff did not have written guidance about the action to take if a strategy did not support a person to manage their behaviour. This could lead to staff taking inappropriate action which would not respect a person’s rights.

There were enough staff to provide the care that people needed and to ensure their safety. People who lived in the home were comfortable with the staff who worked there. People told us that they liked the staff and said the staff were “kind” and “nice”. The staff supported people to stay safe in the home and in the local community. Staff had been trained in how to identify and report abuse.

People enjoyed the meals provided in the home and followed a range of activities of their choosing. People were able to maintain relationships with their families and friends.

All the staff who worked in the home had received training to ensure they had the skills and knowledge to provide the support people needed. The staff treated people kindly and took prompt action to support people if they appeared anxious or unhappy.

The staff knew how people communicated their wishes and gave people choices in a way that they could understand.

The registered manager of the home was knowledgeable about the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards, (DoLS). People made decisions about their daily lives and about their care and no one was subject to any restrictions on their liberty.

People were supported to see their doctor as they needed. Medicines were handled safely in the home and people received their medication as prescribed by their doctor.

The atmosphere in the home was relaxed, friendly and inclusive. People who lived in the home were asked for their views about the service. The registered manager carried out checks to monitor the quality of the service.