Arun Lodge Residential Care Home

On this page

• Overview
• Kindness, compassion and dignity
• Treating people as individuals
• Independence, choice and control
• Responding to people’s immediate needs
• Workforce wellbeing and enablement

Caring – this means we looked for evidence that the provider involved people and treated them with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.

At our last assessment we rated this key question good. At this assessment the rating has remained good.

This meant people were supported and treated with dignity and respect; and involved as partners in their care.

This service scored 75 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

The provider always treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

For example, we observed staff interacting in familiar and friendly ways who were treating people kindly as they provided support. One person said, “They are very nice and have time to talk with me which I enjoy.” A staff member said, “The most important thing for me is making a difference to people’s lives it’s what I love so much about this role.” We received feedback from professionals who said, “When I visit the staff are helpful and the interactions between staff and people are positive.” We spoke with people about their experience of requesting support when they used their call bells who gave positive feedback. One person said, “If I need someone they come quite quickly.” Another person said, “I don’t use it very often, but when I do, they always check what I need.”

The provider treated people as individuals and made sure people’s care, support and treatment met people’s needs and preferences. They took account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics.

People’s individual needs and backgrounds were detailed in their care documents which provided staff with the information needed to support their specific preferences including the time they liked to receive support with their morning routines and their communication and religious needs. For example, people could attend holy communion at the service or visit local churches. Staff had organised a regular prayer gathering which was open to people with religious beliefs and to those who were not religious but enjoyed the experience. A staff member said, “Everyone has the opportunity to be part of everything we do here, if they want.”

The provider promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing.

The provider had a positive risk-taking approach. For example, people, where safe to do so, were able to leave the home without support to access the local area and had safety measures in place for people who would be at risk of accessing the community unsupported. There was a comprehensive selection of activities for people to engage with facilitated by external providers and staff, technology was also available for people to use in the form of a large mobile interactive device which could be used in groups or by individuals that had various forms of engagement, including games and stories.

The provider listened to and understood people’s needs, views and wishes. Staff responded to people’s needs in the moment and acted to minimise any discomfort, concern or distress.

For example, a digital care planning system was being used which gave staff quick access to important information about the people they were supporting. Staff knew how to use the system and respond to changes in people’s needs alongside who to contact and how to communicate changes they observed in people’s support needs. During our assessment, staff were observed responding to people in their chosen communication method. For example, a person was looking at an orientation board (a device that displays the day, month date and time) and was discussing the information with a staff member who explained how it is used in a manner which met the person’s needs. People had access to a call bell system used to request support when they needed it, we saw staff responding to these requests in a timely manner. One person said, “I don’t hesitate to ask for anything and they always oblige.”

The provider cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care.

For example, alongside the mandatory training the manager engaged the staff team in identifying other training they felt would improve their ability to provide good quality care and support their professional development. Staff were rewarded for picking up extra shifts with a bonus, one staff member said, “I’m happy to help covers shifts, we’re like a little family here and when I need to change a shift the manager supports me.” Another staff member said, “I’m encouraged to develop in a supportive non pressurising way.” The manager supported staff with reasonable changes to their work when needed. One staff member said, “Following a change in my personal circumstances the manager supported me to make changes to my rota.”