Cedar Lodge

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 changed to requires improvement: This meant people did not always feel well-supported, cared for or treated with dignity and respect.

This service scored 60 (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 did not always treat people with kindness, empathy and compassion, or respect their privacy and dignity.

One person told us some staff were "blunt and domineering" and reported feeling rushed. Two staff also told us they wouldn't allow a relative to live at the home as some staff were 'slap dash' and 'don't care enough'. We discussed the feedback we received with the regional director who told us work was being undertaken to improve the culture at the service.

Throughout our visit we saw people being treated as individuals and with kindness, compassion and dignity. Other people and relatives described staff as kind and caring. Comments included, "They have put my mind at ease, it is a very caring home" and "I’m quite happy here, I am quite content, the staffing are good, every one of them.”

The provider did not always treat people as individuals and make sure people’s care, support and treatment met people’s needs and preferences.

Although people told us they were able to make choices about their day to day lives which included when to get up or go to bed, people were not always able to access outside space when they chose to. We also received mixed feedback from professionals regarding people’s support. Comments from professionals included, “The staff know their residents extremely well” and “They have a nice, personalised approach to residents." However, 1 professional gave us an example of when 1 person’s care had not always been planned and delivered in a way which was personalised to their needs and promoted their wellbeing. The manager confirmed they had discussed the concerns with the professional who told them some concerns may have been due to miscommunication. The manager confirmed this was being addressed with the team. The manager told us they were continuing to engage with professionals to gain further clarification regarding the concerns raised during the assessment.

Staff understood people’s individual needs. One staff member told us, “We ask the person what they want and like, what drink they want, what food they want, vegetarian or meat?”

The provider had an activity co-ordinator who provided social stimulation for people in the form of a regular activity program. This included celebratory and cultural events as well as themed days.

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

People had access to activities to promote and support their independence, health and wellbeing. One relative told us their loved one was encouraged to maintain their existing skills to encourage their independence. They told us, "I have noticed that they put his clothes out for him on his chair and encourage him to do as much as possible for himself."

One staff member told us, “It’s what it’s all about, choice, dignity, independence. If they can wash and dress themselves, I’ll be there with them, but I like them to do it themselves. I think that’s very important.”

The provider did not always listen to and understand people’s needs, views and wishes. Staff did not always respond to people’s needs in the moment or act to minimise any discomfort, concern or distress.

We received mixed feedback from professionals. Some professionals told us staff did not always act in a timely way when they identified changes in people’s needs or needed interventions for their health. Although 2 professionals told us the service “reaches out quickly if people are poorly” and “staff will contact me if they have any concerns regarding a client and request further input/assessment to help prevent deterioration”, other professionals gave examples of when input was not sought in a timely way. We discussed the concerns with the manager and confirmation was received that the concerns will be discussed with the professional.

Feedback from people and relatives was mostly positive. Comments included, “If I have an issue, I mention it to a member of staff, and they will arrange for [relative] to see the doctor quite quickly” and “The doctor visits every Tuesday and checks people over. They have bad circulation in their legs and has an ulcer; they are on to it like a rocket.” However, 1 relative told us, “Once [relative] had to wait 2 weeks to see the doctor. This was just about the time of change over companies”

During our visits staff were observed to be responding to people's immediate needs, for example contacting professionals and the emergency services when required. The first day of our assessment was during a heat wave. Staff were observed responding to people’s needs in relation to this. A relative told us, “In the hot weather, the manager got drinks and lollies, they are very hands on. They are very responsive; nothing is too much trouble." Another relative told us, "There was an episode that I observed, staff contained it, defused the situation, and moved other residents into another room, it was contained very quickly, the person was calmed down and distracted.”

The provider cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and supported and enabled staff.

Systems and processes were in place to support workforce wellbeing and enablement. Most staff felt supported by management. Comments included, “They assure me the doors always open; I can speak to them with any concerns. I’m quite happy with the support” and “If there’s a problem there’s always someone there to help you.”