Highams Lodge

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

This means we looked for evidence that the service 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.

People described staff as warm, caring and supportive, and said they felt valued and understood through day‑to‑day interactions. Staff communicated with people in a respectful and non‑judgemental way, and care records reflected compassionate engagement.

People had opportunities to take part in meaningful activities that reflected their interests, and staff supported personalisation, including cultural and dietary needs. People described having choice in daily life and were supported to build independence through activities and responsibilities within the service.

Staff responded when people needed support, including during periods of distress, and provided reassurance and emotional support.

We have not awarded this service a score for Caring.

Find out about when we will not publish a key question score and what we look at when we assess Caring.

People described staff as warm, caring and supportive and spoke positively about how staff treated them in day‑to‑day interactions, which helped them feel valued and understood.

Some people told us that support was tailored to their needs and reflected their individual experiences.

Care and treatment records used respectful, non‑judgemental language and reflected compassionate engagement. People also said staff supported them to talk about difficult experiences in a way that felt manageable and safe.

People described opportunities that reflected their individual interests and strengths. They took part in activities such as gardening, cooking groups, volunteering and art therapy, which supported self‑expression and confidence.

Care and treatment records also included examples of staff supporting individual preferences and lifestyles. One person was supported to care for their dog, with a pet risk assessment in place to manage associated risks safely. This reflected a personalised approach to supporting independence and wellbeing.

People said they were able to personalise their bedrooms, including with support from family members, which helped them feel comfortable and maintain a sense of identity.

People also said staff supported their individual cultural and dietary preferences, including providing Halal food and dairy alternatives. Therapeutic support was tailored to people’s experiences, including consideration of personal histories, triggers and significant events.

People described having choice in everyday living and said they could take part in activities outside the service, including going to the gym, volunteering and community events, which supported confidence and autonomy.

People also described taking on meaningful roles within the service, including contributing to the weekly budgeting group and helping to develop a digital information portal.

Staff described using move‑on assessments to explore people’s practical skills such as managing medicines, shopping, utilities and seeking help. This supported the development of independence. Care and treatment records included examples of progression for some people.

People described receiving responsive support from staff for their physical and emotional needs. This included support to attend appointments and assistance with physiotherapy routines. We also observed staff respond to a person experiencing fainting episodes; staff remained calm, supported the person safely to their room and monitored their wellbeing. People also described staff responding promptly when urgent needs arose, including staying with them until an ambulance arrived and supporting access to medical care.

Staff described managers as accessible and available to provide support.

However, feedback from staff about support from managers was mixed, which indicated that staff experience of support and responsiveness varied across the service.