Hunter's Lodge

On this page

• Overview
• Learning culture
• Safe systems, pathways and transitions
• Safeguarding
• Involving people to manage risks
• Safe environments
• Safe and effective staffing
• Infection prevention and control
• Medicines optimisation

Safe – this means we looked for evidence that people were protected from abuse and avoidable harm. At our last assessment we rated this key question Good. At this assessment the rating has remained Good. This meant people were safe and protected from avoidable harm.

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 had a proactive and positive culture of safety, based on openness and honesty. Staff listened to concerns about safety and investigated and reported safety events. Lessons were learnt to continually identify and embed good practice.

Staff reported incidents in accordance with the provider’s policies and procedures. When incidents occurred, these were thoroughly investigated to establish contributing factors and underlying causes. The registered manager reviewed incident reports to maintain oversight, and potential triggers and themes were identified, with actions implemented to prevent recurrence. Learning from incidents was shared with staff to support reflective practice and drive continuous improvements.

The compliance officer-maintained oversight of all staff training, and a blended learning approach was in place, combining online training, practical observations and workbooks. Where staff had barriers with engagement, additional one-to-one support was provided. Reasonable adjustments were in place for staff members who required them, reflecting an inclusive approach to learning.

The provider worked with people and healthcare partners to establish and maintain safe systems of care, in which safety was managed or monitored. They made sure there was continuity of care, including when people moved between different services.

The provider had a structured pre-admission process in place to ensure people could be safely admitted to the service. Assessments were completed by the registered manager before people moved into the home, providing an opportunity to meet the person, discuss their needs and assess how the service could support them safely and effectively. People’s representatives were involved in the pre-admission process, helping to share important information about the person’s background, preferences and life history. This supported staff in developing a personalised approach to care from the onset.

The provider operated a day centre service alongside the residential service, supporting people with transitions in a meaningful and person-centred way. People who were considering the service, or who may require a placement in the future, were able to attend the day service before moving in. This gave people the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the environment, get to know the staff team and build relationships with people who already lived there.

People were encouraged to bring their personal belongings, including ornaments, photographs and pictures. This helped to create familiar surroundings, promoted comfort and emotional well-being, and supported people to feel settled.

The registered manager had developed effective working relationships with external professionals, supporting joined-up working to ensure care and communication was across the service. Feedback from visiting professionals reflected a positive view about the quality of care being provided to individuals. One professional told us, “Staff know so much about them, and their families.”

The provider worked with people and healthcare partners to understand what being safe meant to them and the best way to achieve that. Staff concentrated on improving people’s lives while protecting their right to live in safety, free from bullying, harassment, abuse, discrimination, avoidable harm and neglect. The provider shared concerns quickly and appropriately.

The service had robust systems in place to protect people from the risk of harm, abuse and discrimination. A clear safeguarding policy was accessible to staff, and they received relevant training to support their understanding and responsibilities. Safeguarding awareness was embedded into practice through regular discussions.

Staff showed a confident and clear understanding of safeguarding and could readily identify signs of abuse or neglect. They demonstrated knowledge of how to raise concerns internally and externally. The provider worked collaboratively with the local authority, and where safeguarding concerns arose, referrals were made promptly. Relatives told us they were kept informed of any incidents or accidents involving their loved ones, which reflected the provider's commitment to open and transparent communication.

Where people had restrictions placed on their liberty, these were applied lawfully, in line with relevant legislation and guidance. Appropriate authorisations were in place, and records demonstrated decisions were made in people’s best interests, with regular review to ensure restrictions remained necessary and proportionate.

People who have been assessed to lack capacity may be lawfully deprived of their liberty (DoLs) when this is in their best interests and authorised through the Mental Capacity safeguards process. DoLS authorisations were in place for all relevant individuals and were regularly reviewed to ensure they remained current and appropriate. The registered manager maintained effective oversight of all authorisations with a robust system in place to ensure these were monitored and reviewed when required.

The provider had a proactive and positive culture of safety, based on openness and honesty. Staff listened to concerns about safety and investigated and reported safety events. Lessons were learnt to continually identify and embed good practice.

Staff reported incidents in accordance with the provider’s policies and procedures. When incidents occurred, these were thoroughly investigated to establish contributing factors and underlying causes. The registered manager reviewed incident reports to maintain oversight, and potential triggers and themes were identified, with actions implemented to prevent recurrence. Learning from incidents was shared with staff to support reflective practice and drive continuous improvements.

The compliance officer-maintained oversight of all staff training, and a blended learning approach was in place, combining online training, practical observations and workbooks. Where staff had barriers with engagement, additional one-to-one support was provided. Reasonable adjustments were in place for staff members who required them, reflecting an inclusive approach to learning.

The provider detected and controlled potential risks in the care environment. They made sure equipment, facilities and technology supported the delivery of safe care.

A range of safety features were in place throughout the home to prevent people from potential harm. These included wardrobes securely anchored to walls, protective covers fitted to radiators to reduce the risk of burns, and window restrictors installed to minimise the risk of falls. Regular electrical safety checks and fire risk assessments were completed, supporting a safe and compliant environment for people living and working at the service.

Routine health and safety checks were carried out to monitor the conditions of the premises and identify any potential risks in a timely way. Where maintenance issues were identified, these were addressed promptly to ensure people’s safety and comfort, and the registered manager-maintained oversight of all the environmental safety and maintenance arrangements.

Each person had a personalised emergency evacuation plan in place, providing staff with clear and individualised guidance on how to safely support people in the event of an emergency evacuation. This ensured evacuation procedures were tailored to people’s individual needs and abilities, supporting a safe response for everyone living at the home.

The provider made sure there were enough qualified, skilled and experienced staff, who received effective support, supervision and development. They worked together well to provide safe care that met people’s individual needs.

Staff received a structured induction which included an introduction to the service and shadowing of more experienced staff. Supervisions were completed alongside competency assessments, and the provider had monitoring in place to track this. Staff completed a range of training, both face-to-face and e-learning, covering areas such as safeguarding, moving and handling, and dementia awareness. Training compliance was monitored to support improvements, and staff felt they had received adequate training to carry out their roles effectively.

During inspection, staff levels were observed to meet the required numbers, and a staff dependency tool was used to monitor staffing against the people’s support needs. The home had a consistent staff team. People spoke warmly about the staff, with 1 person telling us, “I can’t praise the staff enough.” However, feedback from both staff and relatives highlighted staff were not always present in communal areas during afternoon. We spoke with the registered manager about deployment of staff to ensure people were safe at all times.

Robust recruitment and pre-employment checks were in place prior to staff commencing employment. This included enhanced Disclosure and Barring service checks, which provide information about any relevant convictions or cautions held on the Police National Computer. These checks supported the provider in making safer recruitment choices and minimising risks to people using the service.

The provider assessed and managed the risk of infection. They detected and controlled the risk of it spreading and shared concerns with appropriate agencies promptly. Staff had received training in infection prevention and control, safe food handling, and demonstrated an understanding of how to use and remove personal protective equipment (PPE) correctly to reduce the risk of cross-contamination. There was sufficient stock of PPE throughout the home.

Infection prevention and control policies were in place to support safe practice across the service, and cleaning schedules were implemented alongside regular audits to monitor standards. Throughout the inspection, the environment was observed to be clean, well-maintained and free from malodours.

The provider made sure that medicines and treatments were safe and met people’s needs, capacities and preferences. Staff involved people in planning, including when changes happened.

Robust systems were in place to ensure medicines were ordered, received, stored, administered and disposed of safely and in line with current guidance. Only staff who had completed medicines training and had been assessed as competent administered medicines, ensuring people received them safely. These staff demonstrated a good knowledge of the medicines prescribed, including their purpose and the correct method of administration. Medicines administration records were accurately completed at the point of administration, providing a clear and auditable record and supporting effective monitoring.

Clear protocols were in place for the administration of PRN (as required) medicines, setting out when they should be offered, maximum dosage limits and when further advice should be sought. This ensured PRN medicines were administered safely, consistently and in response to people’s needs.

Feedback from relatives regarding communication about medicines was mixed. Whilst some relatives told us they felt well informed and were kept up to date with any changes to their loved one’s medicines, others indicated they were not always made aware of changes. This highlighted some variability in communication across the service.

When people required medicines to be administered covertly, protocols were in place and followed, ensuring this was carried out safely, consistently and in accordance with agreed best interest decisions, upholding people’s rights and dignity whilst supporting people's health needs.