Chalfont Lodge

On this page

• Overview
• Person-centred Care
• Care provision, Integration and continuity
• Providing Information
• Listening to and involving people
• Equity in access
• Equity in experiences and outcomes
• Planning for the future

Responsive – this means we looked for evidence that the provider met people’s needs.

At our last assessment we rated this key question Requires Improvement. At this assessment the rating has changed to Good.

This meant people’s needs were met through good organisation and delivery.

This service scored 82 (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 was exceptional at making sure people were at the centre of their care and treatment choices and they decided, in partnership with people, how to respond to any relevant changes in people’s needs.

The home provided a wide range of activities throughout the year, often tailored to people’s individual needs and preferences. These included, sports day events with wheelchair-led games and activities, outdoor and indoor bowls, balloon volleyball, darts and skittles, group exercise sessions and music and movement activities led by the music therapist and physiotherapy team. People told us they had lots to do and enjoyed the activities. One person said, “The activities ladies [staff] here are all brilliant, they all help with other things too.” A relative spoke about the variety of activities. They said, “There have been some good ones, entertainers and often animals are involved, owls, cats and birds and dogs. Its’s really very good.” Another relative said, “The games and the animal visits really lifts [person’s] spirits.”

Many of the activities were held in the homes extensive gardens area which had been planned and created by people in the home as part of the garden committee. The gardens contained a wheelchair friendly woodland walk, a dementia friendly area and a large seating area with multiple raised beds for people in wheelchairs to engage in gardening. Work in the garden, involving people and staff, was ongoing and included the building of a clock tower and the renovation of a small lake. During our visit we saw the gardens were extremely popular and supported people’s wellbeing. We spoke with a person who was sat, enjoying the garden and they told us, “These gardens mean everything to me.” A relative said, “[Person] absolutely loves going into the garden, it’s their favourite place.”

People’s care plans were individualised and detailed how people wanted to be supported in line with their individual likes and dislikes.

One person told us, “Everyone is very nice to me, if you don’t like anything they [staff] will always offer you a choice.” One relative commented on the friendliness of the home. They told us, “As soon as you come into the home you get a nice welcome, when you get to reception it is just the same, it is always clean, they [staff] always speak to you and say your name if they know it and always smile.”

Staff spoke about the care plans and how they were used to guide staff and keep them updated on people’s needs. One staff member said, “I follow the care plan, look at the care notes so nothing is missed.” Another staff member said, “We have a ‘resident of the day’ scheme which will focus on that person’s care plan as well as other tasks to ensure something is never missed and we ensure the resident is always fully involved.”
 

The provider understood the diverse health and care needs of people and their local communities, so care was joined-up, flexible and supported choice and continuity.

People received care and treatment in line with their assessed needs. Relatives said people had regular health checks and care reviews

Staff worked closely with community health care providers and knew when to refer people for specialist care. They accessed support, advice and treatment for people from physiotherapists, speech and language therapists, chiropodists, and opticians.

One relative told us how a person received care and treatment during a holiday period. They said, “[Person] had a bad infection on Christmas Eve evening and the GP came here, the prescription was written on Christmas Day, the Nurse went down to the depot immediately and she started taking the medicine that day. Brilliant.” Another relative said, “They [staff] provided the perfect care for my wife.”

The provider supplied appropriate, accurate and up-to-date information in formats that were tailored to individual needs.

The service followed the principles of the Accessible Information Standard (AIS) to identify, record, and meet the information and communication needs of people with a disability, impairment, and/or sensory loss. This ensured people were given information in a way they could understand.

People had person-centred care plans covering their communication needs. Information was shared with visiting health and social care professionals where necessary to ensure people could get the best out of medical and other appointments.

The provider was exceptional at enabling people to share feedback and ideas, or raise complaints about their care, treatment and support. Staff always involved people in decisions about their care and told them what had changed as a result.

People were supported so they could continue to be involved in the local community. One person was a keen and very knowledgeable gardener and was an active member of the local gardening community. After entering the home this person was no longer able to attend the gardening group meetings. The registered manager arranged for the groups meetings to be held in the home enabling the person, and other people, to attend and become involved. One staff member told us, “I’ve been here as activity lead for a while now. We have done a lot of work in the gardens, all led by our residents. The local garden committee now comes into the home for meetings which includes our residents. It is very popular. ”In 2025 Chalfonte Lodge and its extensive gardens won a ‘Garden of the year’ award.

The provider operated a ‘you said, we did’ scheme where people’s requests and suggestions were listed as were the homes responses. The suggestions ranged from menu choices and preferences to activity requests. Those requests we saw had all been actioned by the service.

People told us they knew how to make a formal complaint if they needed to and were confident it would be taken seriously by the management. The service’s complaints policy was on display in the home. The complaints process included details of how to appeal a decision, contact details for the local government and social care ombudsman.

People told us they were listened to, and confident concerns would be dealt with. Their comments included, “The care here is exceptional, the head of nursing and head of care are both special, I have no complaints at all”and “I do know the manager here, he is a kind gentleman, he always speaks to you, he has helped me on occasions and would do so again.”

The provider made sure people could access the care and support they needed in a timely way. People’s care was planned in a way which worked for them, and which promoted dignity, equality, and human rights.

The provider used people’s feedback and other evidence to improve access for people more likely to experience barriers or delays in accessing their care.

The building was fully accessible to people living with a range of physical needs. Wide doorways and corridors enabled wheelchair users and people using walkers to access all areas such as the activity room, lounge areas, quiet spaces and dining rooms.

Staff and leaders listened to information about people who were most likely to experience inequality in experience or outcomes and tailored their care and support in response to this.

The provider complied with legal equality and human rights requirements, including avoiding discrimination and having regard to the needs of people with different protected characteristics. The provider recognised potential discrimination and inequality and proactively addressed barriers to improve people’s experience of the service.

People’s religious and cultural needs were discussed at their initial assessments and recorded in their care plans. Religious and cultural activities were available throughout the year. We spoke with the chef about preparing special meals for people. They said, “All cakes and biscuits are made in the home, and I can make any meal residents [people] ask for, no problem.”

People were supported to plan for important life changes, so they could have enough time to make informed decisions about their future, including at the end of their life. For example, one person had detailed their future plans. This included funeral details, religious needs and family details.

The service was worked with the Gold Standards framework. The Gold Standards Framework (GSF) is a registered charity and has been the UK’s leading training provider for generalist frontline staff in caring for people in the last years of life for over 25 years. GSF is a practical and evidence-based end of life care service improvement programme.

People were able to discuss their preferences about the care they wished to receive towards the end of their lives. People’s wishes were respected if they chose not to discuss this aspect of their care. Details of people’s wishes were recorded in their care plans and included religious preferences and funeral details.