Sunkist Lodge

Sunkist Lodge ia a 'care home'. At the time of our inspection there were 23 people living in the home. Sunkist Lodge provided care and support to people living with on-going mental health conditions, such as schizophrenia, personality disorder or a history of substance and alcohol misuse.

People's experience of using this service:

People who lived in Sunkist Lodge received person centred care and were supported by staff who knew them, their needs and their interests well. People spoke very highly of the care they received at Sunkist Lodge with comments including; "My life has changed since I am here", "We are all lucky to live here" and "I would highly recommend this place."

Staff involved people in every aspect of their care and enabled them to share their views and make choices. People were free to come and go as they pleased and encouraged to become active members in their local community.

People had personalised care plans which contained information about their support needs, how to minimise any risks, and goals they were working towards in order to become more independent.

Risks to people's health, safety and wellbeing were assessed and acted upon. People were protected from potential abuse by staff who had received training and were confident in raising concerns. People made comments including; "They look after you and you feel safe" and "There is nothing to worry about here. I feel safe." There was a thorough recruitment process in place that checked potential staff were safe to work with people who may be vulnerable.

People were supported by kind and caring staff who worked hard to promote their independence and sense of wellbeing. Staff were provided with the training, supervision and support they needed to care for people well.

People spoke highly of the food they were provided in Sunkist Lodge and the environment. Where necessary, specialist advice from healthcare professionals was sought. One healthcare professional said, "I feel confident they raise concerns where needed. People are definitely treated well here."

People received their medicines as prescribed by they doctors in a safe way. People had access to activities, opportunities and stimulation to meet their needs.

There was strong leadership at the service. People, relatives, external healthcare professionals and staff

spoke highly of the management team and there was a positive culture at the service with people and staff feeling their voices were listened to.

There were effective quality assurance systems in place to assess, monitor and improve the quality and safety of the service provided.

More information is in the full report