Fern 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. This is the first inspection of this newly registered service. This key question has been rated good. This meant people were safe and protected from avoidable harm.

This service scored 72 (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. Incidents were reviewed and discussed at team meetings to try to reduce the risk of reoccurrence at an organisational level. For example, through keeping records to show if a person’s support needs had increased, so action could be taken to seek additional funding for 1:1 staffing hours.

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. A professional who worked with the service told us, “We have had a number of referrals and contacts made to the specialist team when staff are concerned about the residents [people]. It is my impression that we are alerted in good time when they have a concern.” A person’s relative told us, “[Staff] ring and let us know if [person] has gone to hospital or had paramedics or GP called, they are really good.”

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. A relative told us, “The home always contacts us about the outcome [of safeguarding matters], we have close contact.” Whilst safeguarding issues were recorded and reviewed, this could benefit from further analysis work to show how measures taken reduced the risk of reoccurrence for people within Fern Lodge. The manager told us they would act on this feedback.

The provider worked with people to understand and manage risks by thinking holistically. Staff provided care to meet people’s needs that was safe, supportive and enabled people to do the things that mattered to them. Whilst there was a clear commitment to minimising the use of restrictive interventions, further work was needed to ensure Antecedent, Behaviour, Consequence (ABC) records were always clear on action taken by staff. However, a professional who works with the service told us, “Staff possess the necessary conflict resolution techniques, using positive and soft words and de-escalation techniques. Furthermore, distraction techniques offering therapeutic activities in-house or providing a safe space away from the main environment is provided.” People who had conditions such as epilepsy, were supported effectively to protect them from the risk of avoidable harm. We found 1 person’s seizure management plan required an update with some further information. This was put in place during the assessment period once raised by inspectors.

The provider detected and controlled potential risks in the care environment. They made sure equipment, facilities and technology supported the delivery of safe care. This included ensuring relevant health and safety checks took place as required, and people had access to equipment to keep them safe. There was a dedicated ‘Estates management team’ operated by the provider. A relative told us, “[Person] has equipment to move into [their] chair and wheelchair, [person] is happy. I’m happy with what goes on.” The physical environment was appealing and met people’s sensory and physical needs.

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. People were supported by staff who had undertaken training in how to support them. This included specialist training in areas such as understanding epilepsy, and how to support people with a learning disability and or autistic people. A professional who works with the service told us, “The staff team is well established, with most been in post over five years; this creates a strong and bonded team that is invested in providing a gold standard service.” Staff recruitment was safe, although some minor improvements were required to ensure a full employment history was held on record.

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. We saw Fern Lodge was clean and hygienic throughout. Staff confirmed there was a domestic cleaner, but they also had a duty of care to ensure people lived in a clean environment at all times. A relative said, “[Staff] do hand sanitising, to make sure they are clean. [Staff] wear gloves for personal care.”

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. We checked the balance of some people’s medicines, which were correct according to people’s records. This showed people received their medicines safely and as prescribed, and people were not over-medicated when distressed. Staff also received training and medication competency assessments to check their practice was safe. A person’s relative said, “[Person] has tablets in the morning and afternoon when I’m there. All done expertly.”