Middleton Lodge Care Home

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.

This is the first assessment for this newly registered service. This key question has been rated good. This meant people were supported and treated with dignity and respect; and involved as partners in their care.

This service scored 80 (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 treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

People and relatives told us they felt staff treated them with dignity and respect. We observed staff treated people with kindness and compassion throughout our inspection. We saw people who required assistance with eating were supported in a dignified manner, staff sat at the table with the person who was being assisted. A professional told us, “The residents are treated with dignity and respect. All the staff that I have been involved with are very kind and caring.”

It was evident staff knew people well and spent time talking with people about their past and their interests. The staff team also collated photographs of people with their consent to share with their family members.

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 were supported to maintain relationships that were important to them. During the inspection we observed people receiving visitors. Care records contained information about people’s preferences and things which were important to them. Staff were aware of this information and listened to people.

People’s bedrooms were personalized with pictures and personal objects of interest. The corridors on each floor were decorated with reminisce pictures based on themes such as places for holiday, sports and music.

The provider demonstrated outstanding practice in promoting people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing.

The service had “Resident Ambassadors,” who were a group of people living at the service. They supported and helped people to settle into the home, showing them around and answering any questions. This provided people with the opportunity of getting to know one another, the staff and the facilities at the service.

Staff consistently encouraged and enabled people to be as independent as possible. A well-being and activities coordinator spent time with people to understand what they enjoyed and tailored activities based on people’s suggestions, choices and bespoke preferences. People were supported to maintain strong relationships and support networks whilst participating in meaningful activities. For example, staff had helped some people set up a “Gentlemen’s Club,” where people enjoyed having a drink and playing games. There was also the “Knit and natter” group who had knitted poppies for a Remembrance Day display at Nottingham Castle. When people did not wish to join in activities this was respected, and they were also offered one to one activities and wellbeing support. There was also a designated activities room which contained items for arts and crafts. People whose first language was not English, were able to watch movies in their native language. The provider encouraged people to use the mobile shop which sold items such as toiletries and chocolates.

People had access to a vast range of activities and events both within the home and community. This meant there was a strong emphasis on supporting individuals to maintain and develop their independence. These activities prompted people’s independence and well-being. A professional told us, “The service provides an excellent calendar of activities that is inclusive of all the residents. They have created a warm community where residents are able to build friendships in a homely environment.” Staff had also planned a “Wizard of Oz party” where they dressed as the main characters and saw people walk down the yellow brick road which was the magical pathway in the movie. People were also being supported by the well-being and activities coordinator in completing an application to appear on a TV quiz show. The service had a minibus; this enabled people to go out on trips with staff support which included a visit to the National Space Centre and pumpkin picking. The service also hosted events and parties tocelebrate special occasions such as people’s birthdays, bonfire night and cinema screenings of British sitcoms.

Staff told us how they supported people to be as independent as possible, respecting their choices and preferences and promoting positive risk taking. A staff member said, “I encourage the person to use the walking frame to get to the dining room.” Records showed how peoples well-being and independence had improved. For example, one person, was now much more mobile after a period in hospital they returned to the home and overtime have been able to walk with the support of a walking frame. A relative told us, “The staff help [named person] to remain as independent as possible with managing risks.”

The provider listened to and understood people’s needs, views and wishes. Staff responded to people’s needs in the moment and acted to minimize any discomfort, concern or distress.

We observed staff were attentive to people’s needs, responding to their requests. They were calm and compassionate in their approach, engaging with people.

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

Staff consistently provided us with positive feedback on how they were treated by the management team and provider. Staff told us they felt supported in their roles by the management team. The provider had initiatives in place for staff such as employee assistance and reduced rate travel.

The registered manager told us they supported the diversity of staff and staff had undertaken equality and diversity training. The service promoted an inclusive culture, they held an ‘International day,’ for staff and people living at the service celebrating diversity. Staff dressed in their national outfits, sharing their culture.