Ambleside Lodge - London

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.

Staff spoke positively about the people they supported and demonstrated a caring approach. One staff member told us, “Sometimes it is a bit challenging, but we try to help people to sort things out.” Another said, “People have problems and we need to know how to understand these. Generally it’s easy to help them to work it out for themselves.” We observed staff engaging with people in a kind and sensitive manner and responding appropriately to requests for support. When people wished to have private conversations, staff supported them to do so in private areas and personal care was provided discreetly.

People consistently told us staff treated them well and respected their privacy. One person said, “I can’t really fault them,” whilst another told us,” If there isn’t anyone to be seen, I can go to the office and they will help me.”

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 care plans and risk assessments contained information about their preferences, cultural, social and religious needs, and staff had received equality and diversity training to help ensure people’s protected characteristics were respected. Staff and managers demonstrated a good understanding of people’s individual circumstances and current wellbeing needs. We observed staff communicating with people in ways they understood, checking understanding where necessary and offering meaningful choices. Staff also supported people to hold private conversations when they wished.

People were positive about the personalised support they received. One person told us, “The staff are very nice. No complaints.” Another person said, “They are very good. Some are particularly good. They check on me when I’m in my room and make sure I’m OK.

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

During the inspection we initially sought clarification regarding arrangements for people returning home after 10pm and access to the kitchen. Further evidence demonstrated people were encouraged to advise staff if they were likely to return home after 10pm, and one person told us they frequently did. This was confirmed by staff and the registered manager who told us staff needed to know when people were returning to the home so they could raise a missing person’s alert if they were worried about them. People’s individual food storage was locked to prevent other residents from taking their food. They could ask staff to unlock these as required and we observed that they did so. One person said, “It’s a bit of a pain, but I understand the reason.” People had been informed about these arrangements through resident meetings and were able to discuss their views. We found that access restrictions were proportionate and intended to protect people’s food and safety.

People were able to maintain relationships with family and friends and had regular access to the community. Most people went out independently, and staff provided support and encouragement where required. The provider also supported people to obtain equipment and technology that promoted independence and helped maintain relationships. One person told us, “I don’t like going out by myself. Staff come out with me on Fridays to do shopping. Sometimes we go to the park if I want to.” Another person said, “I need to get more independent again and they are helping me. They encourage me.”

Staff explained their approach to promoting independence, stating, “Where people need support we give it, like help with cleaning rooms, cooking, going out. Sometimes people need encouragement.”

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.

Staff understood the importance of regularly checking on people, monitoring their wellbeing and taking action when concerns arose. Staff told us they checked on people frequently, responded to questions and requests and escalated concerns appropriately to managers or senior staff. During the inspection we observed staff routinely asking people if they needed anything and responding when assistance was required. Staff also demonstrated an understanding of how to respond to changes in people’s emotional wellbeing, explaining, “If they seem distressed or their mood changes this may be because of their mental health and we spend time with them to help them be calmer.”

People told us staff were available when they needed support. One person said, “They are always here when I need to talk to them.”

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

Staff received regular supervision, training and opportunities to raise concerns or share ideas through team meetings and one-to-one discussions. Staff told us they could approach managers at any time and did not need to wait for formal supervision to discuss concerns. The provider maintained an out-of-hours on-call system to ensure staff could access support whenever required.

Staff consistently described feeling supported and valued in their roles. One staff member told us, “[Registered manager is always available to listen.” Another said, “I think we are very well looked after.” They went on to describe how the registered manager provided drinks and snacks for team meetings and tried to make them “fun.” Staff also told us they could make requests for additional training or time off, and the registered manager was responsive to these.” Consistently staff members told us they felt able to raise other concerns openly and were confident they would be listened to. A member of staff said, “Sometimes it is stressful, but I always get the support I need