Aran Lodge

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 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 85 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

Staff always treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. People told us they had good relationships with staff who looked after them well. A relative told us, “My [relative] has been at Aran Lodge for one year. My [relative] has dementia, and it is the safest place for [relative]. The staff are all great, I can say 10 out of 10. I would give this home 5 stars. It’s how they look after us and how they run the place, they’re very friendly.” Another relative told us, “I go in every day to visit, it’s one big happy family there.”

Staff we spoke with knew people well including their personal history, background and goals. Staff had time to talk with people and build positive relationships. The deputy manager told us, “One of our residents always talked about football and told us they used to play for a football club. I got in touch with the club to find out when and how long he played with them, and the club acknowledged the letter and sent a wonderful response thanking the resident for their ongoing support and commitment towards the club.”

A relative told us, “The staff are brilliant, they all seem happy in their work and its always spotlessly clean.” Another relative told us, “I say this all the time, this place is exceptional. You wouldn’t find a better place. I wouldn’t change anything about it. The staff are amazing.”

Staff treated people as individuals and made sure people’s care, support and treatment met their needs and preferences. They took account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics. Care plans were person centred to meet people’s individual needs and preferences. The management and staff spent time getting to know people and frequently discussed their likes, dislikes or preferences for care. The wellness manager at the service spent time getting to know what activities people enjoyed and how they could support people’s social and wellbeing needs. A detailed activities list was kept in each person’s care plan and included what a person liked and disliked.

The deputy manager created a communication tool for a person who only spoke Cantonese. All staff had access to this information which included greetings, nice things to say, practical communication, personal care and pronunciation.

A person was assisted to go home and empty their flat and say their final goodbye to their neighbours. This meant the person experienced comfort, closure and dignity during a significant moment in their life.

People were supported to prepare vegetables for lunch and participated in preparing their own food. People were encouraged to make their own hot drinks and serve their own vegetables at the table allowing them to become more independent.

The registered manager told us, "We do a world cruise with a specific destination every week, allowing residents who are unable to travel now to eat and drink the food and beverages from those countries, listen to music and share their memories, if they have visited those countries."

A relative told us, “There are a variety of activities for residents to do. They do tap dancing, have singers in and a ukulele player. They also take part in flower arranging and go for walks out on the sea front. They also do pamper sessions and paint nails. I am happy, and [relative] is extremely happy. It’s like a family almost, it’s a loving environment. I couldn’t ask for anything better.”

The service promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing. Staff supported people to make day to day decisions about their care and to have as much control as possible. Staff supported people’s independence and choice and encouraged them to set goals for each day. People planned the activities and social opportunities they wanted to take part in. People were supported to maintain relationships with their friends and relatives through visits and trips out with them. The wellness manager started a pen pal initiative where they sent postcards to other services and wrote about what they have been doing in the service. We saw evidence of postcards received from other services in response. People at the service enjoyed reading the postcards and looked forward to hearing from other service

A person told us, “[Wellness manager] organises activities, we often have certain things in the mornings and signers in the afternoon. I go out on trips to the seafront and beach. We have the Baptist women’s group that’s comes in and sings and we also have a coffee morning and say prayers.”

A relative told us, “There are great activities put on for the residents and relatives are also invited to be involved.” Another relative told us, “The staff do really put in so much effort to stimulate residents and encourage [relative] to interact and integrate with other residents and the activities.”

Another relative told us, “Going into Aran Lodge has been a massive game changer for [relative]. [Relative] was the most anti-social person ever and initially stayed in their room all the time but now they go down to the lounge in their wheelchair willingly. [Relative] has been given a new lease of life.”

The service 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. The management had regular contact with people and their relatives to seek feedback and these discussions were documented. The registered manager told us no formal concerns or complaints had been raised either by people using the service or those acting on their behalf, the local authority or others since the service became operational. This concurred with information held by the Care Quality Commission.

A relative told us, “I know the management team and nurses and all staff are approachable. If I had any questions they would be answered and if staff didn’t know the answer they would find out.” Another relative told us, “I know the management team. They are visible around the home. I have total confidence in them all and I chat to them all the time. I haven’t had to raise any concerns but if did have to, I would feel comfortable doing so.”

The service cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff. Staff felt well supported working at the service and found it to be a positive experience for them. Feedback from staff was positive regarding the support they received from management. A member of staff told us, “I really enjoy working here. The managers are very approachable, and I don’t have to think twice before sharing any feedback.”

The registered manager had a number of systems in place to support and engage with staff. There was an open-door policy in the office and staff could access the office at any time to speak to management. The registered manager told us, "We have a wellness manager, who deals with issues that staff may have, personal or work related. We celebrate cultural festival, for our staff who are from overseas, this gives them a sense of belonging and residents also have a chance to discuss where staff are from."

Staff personal and professional development were actively supported by the provider. They were encouraged toto do their Qualifications and Credit Framework [QCF]. Senior carers with nurses qualification from overseas were supported to do their Objective Structured Clinical Examination [OSCE] exam and one of the staff members is now working as a Nurse at the home.

A staff member told us, “The manager is very approachable, and [manager’s name] carries out my supervision.” Another staff member told us, “The management are so supportive here, we work like a family. If I ever have any questions, I can go to them and ask them. The management are very responsive, honestly whatever I ask for, they try to sort out. The managers respect us, and I respect them. If I need more training, then will provide it. I really enjoy coming into work.”