Wyvern Lodge is a care home which provides accommodation and personal care for up to eight people with mental health needs. At the time of our inspection the service was providing support to eight people.

At the last inspection, the service was rated Good.

At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

Why the service is rated Good:

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

Risks to people were assessed and where required a risk management plan was in place to support people manage an identified risk and keep the person safe.

Staffing numbers were sufficient to meet people’s needs and this ensured people were supported safely. People told us they felt safe living at the service.

The provider ensured that new staff completed an induction training programme which prepared them for their role. Training was completed in essential matters to ensure staff and people at the service were safe. Staff were supported through a supervision programme. Supervision is where staff meet one to one with their line manager to discuss their work and development.

People were supported to maintain good health and had access to external health care professionals when required.

Staff were caring towards people and there was a good relationship between people and staff. Staff demonstrated an understanding of the needs and preferences of the people they cared for.

Support provided to people met their needs. Supporting records highlighted information about what was important to people and how to support them. People were involved in activities of their choice.

There were systems in place to assess, monitor and improve the quality and safety of the service. Staff described the registered manager as supportive. Comments from people confirmed they were happy with the service and the support received.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

Wyvern Lodge is a care home which provides accommodation and personal care for up to eight people with mental health needs. At the time of our inspection eight people were living at Wyvern Lodge.

This inspection took place on 23 January 2015 and was unannounced.

There was a registered manager in post at the service. 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People who use the service and their relatives were positive about the care they received and praised the quality of the staff and management. Comments from people included, “Staff are really good. They don’t just do things for you like in hospital” and “You can talk to staff here, they try to understand you”.

People told us they felt safe when receiving care and were involved in developing and reviewing their support plans. Systems were in place to protect people from abuse and harm and staff knew how to use them.

Staff understood the needs of the people they were supporting. People told us staff provided support with kindness and compassion.

Staff were appropriately trained and skilled. They received a thorough induction when they started working for the service. They demonstrated a good understanding of their roles and responsibilities, as well as the values and philosophy of the service. The staff had completed training to ensure the care and support provided to people was safe and effective to meet their needs.

The service was responsive to people’s needs and wishes. People had regular group and individual meetings to provide feedback and there were robust complaints procedures. One person told us; “Complaints are dealt with positively. I am able to talk to staff and issues will be dealt with”

The registered manager assessed and monitored the quality of care. The service encouraged feedback from people and their relatives, which they used to make improvements.

At the time of our inspection there were seven people living at the home. During our visit we spoke with four people who lived at the home, the manager and five members of staff. We also spoke with one visiting health and social care professional.

There was a relaxed and friendly atmosphere in the home. People appeared very comfortable with the staff who supported them. Everyone we asked said that they felt safe at the home. One person said “There is no problem. I always feel safe here.” Another person said “All the staff are kind and respectful.”

People told us they were very happy with the care and support they received. One person said “They help you and are always there for you.” Another person told us “I’m a much more confident person since I have been here and that helps with everything.”

People were very complimentary about the staff who supported them. Comments included; “Staff are kind and always there to help you” and “Staff are lovely and encourage you to do the things you want to do.”

Staff personnel files gave evidence of a robust recruitment process which ensured that new staff had the relevant skills and were of good character. The recruitment procedure also minimised the risks of abuse to people who lived at the home by making sure that all staff were thoroughly checked before beginning work.

There were systems in place to effectively monitor the quality of care and to identify and minimise risks to people.

During this inspection we spoke with four of the eight people who lived in the home and four members of staff. People who lived in the home told us they were happy with the care and support they received. One person told us, “They are all very good, they help me with my money and learning to cook. I can go out on my own now, but they will come with me if I ask them”. Another person told us, “Yeah it’s alright here, they listen to what you say and you can talk to them at anytime”. One person who declined to communicate verbally nodded their head and smiled when we asked them if they felt safe living at Wyvern Lodge.

We observed staff had a very close and friendly rapport with people. We saw people were encouraged to make their own decisions about daily activities and staff supported them once the decision was made.

We found that people consented to their care and treatment, both in writing and verbally on a daily one to one basis.

We saw care planning was person centred and agreed with the individual. Regular reviews were carried out and also involved the individual.

We found the receipt, storage and administration of medication was managed safely within the Royal Pharmaceutical Society guidelines.

Staff confirmed they were given the opportunity to build on their skills and received appropriate support from the manager. The provider had an effective complaints system available.

The people that we met were positive in their views of how they feel they are supported by the staff and the manager who leads the team. Examples of the comments made to us included, “the staff are helpful, they are there if you need them”, and “the staff re-assure me they are friendly and enthusiastic”. One person told us, “the strength of this place is that they treat people like human beings”.

People who use the service told us that they feel that wyvern lodge is a supportive place to live, one person told us, “the staff are really supportive and helpful”.

The people we met feel they are well supported by the staff to regain independence in their daily lives. We saw the staff team spending time helping people, listening to them and talking to them in a way that conveyed respect and sensitivity to their needs.

People who use the service each have a detailed, informative care plan written with their involvement that sets out what sort of support they require with their range of mental health needs. Care plans are a record to guide staff and explain what care and support a person needs. We found the information in the care plans was helpful and detailed enough to guide staff to provide effective support to people with their mental health needs. We also read useful information in the care plans about how to encourage people to develop more independence in their daily lives.

We found that people who use the service are supported to buy, prepare and cook the meals they like to eat. People are supported by the staff with training and guidance, so that they understand how to eat a healthy well balanced diet.

We saw that people who use the service live in a homely and comfortable environment. The environment is enhanced because people are able to choose the colour of the paint for the walls in their bedrooms. We also saw art works created by people who live at the home on display in communal areas.

We found that people benefit because they are supported by staff who are effectively monitored and supervised in their work and practise.

We saw evidence that staff do regular training courses and update themselves in their knowledge about a range of subjects relevant to the needs of the people who use the service. This training for staff in a range of subjects relevant to the care of people who use the service, helps ensure staff understand how to give them the support they need.

We saw that people who use the service are involved in monitoring the quality of service and care they receive. We also saw that the manager and the staff act on the views of people who use the service to improve overall outcomes for them even more.

People benefit from the way that complaints about the service will be addressed. When complaints are made there is an easy to follow procedure that means complaints have to be properly responded to and resolved where possible, to the satisfaction of the person making the complaint.