Aran 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 assessment for this service. This key question has been rated 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 service had a proactive and positive culture of safety, based on openness and honesty. Staff listened to safety concerns and took appropriate action by investigating and reporting events. Lessons were learnt to continually identify and embed good practice. The registered manager shared learning with staff from incidents, accidents, complaints and safeguarding so that the service could continually improve and develop positive outcomes for people. Information was shared with staff through handovers, supervisions and staff meetings. The registered manager told us, “I have various different WhatsApp groups which I use daily to ensure everyone gets the information they need instantly.” A member of staff told us, “The manager keeps us informed of any changes to a person’s care plan or if there is anything else we need to know about, for example, if there are any visitors coming in or appointments for that day.”

The service worked with people and healthcare partners to establish and maintain safe systems of care, in which safety was managed or monitored. The registered manager made sure there was continuity of care, including when people moved between different services. Staff told us they read through the care plans to ensure they had all the information they needed to provide support safely.

Relatives told us they were happy with the transition and admission to the service. A relative told us, “My [relative] has been at Aran Lodge for 3 weeks and is on End-of-life care. Things hadn’t worked well at the hospital with regards to [relative’s] needs. Aran Lodge have been great since we arrived and it’s the best thing for [relative]. Staff care well for [relative] and any questions we asked, if staff didn’t know the answer, they were more than happy to find out the answer and would do so straight away.”

Another relative told us, “Staff are wonderful with [relative] and have helped so much to settle [relative] in, I don’t have the words to thank them for how they have helped. I used to visit every day because I was always worried about [relative]. However, I only come twice a week now as I am assured [relative] is happy here and staff take really good care of [relative].”

The service 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 service shared concerns quickly and appropriately.

Staff understood how to recognise the signs of abuse and could describe the actions they would take to safeguard people. This action included informing other agencies if they were concerned about action being taken. A staff member told us, “I would report to my manager, and I would escalate to local authority if I needed to.”

We received positive feedback from people and relatives. A relative told us, “The staff are friendly which helps us when we come in to be more at ease. They keep us well informed, so we know [relative] is safe and well looked after, [relative] seems happy with the staff here, which means [relative] trusts them to keep [relative] safe.” Another relative told us, “I have no concerns over safety. My loved one is well looked after and there is always plenty of staff on duty when I visit.”

The service 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 them to do the things that mattered to them. People were involved in planning their care and managing risks. Care plan and risk assessments were person centred and aimed to provide positive outcomes for people whilst maintaining their choice and independence.

Relatives told us they had been involved in care plan reviews. A relative told us, “Staff manage [relative’s] health condition well. [Relative] is on oxygen and if [relative] gets up out of a chair, staff are on hand quickly to make sure they are safe. Staff informed me that they felt [relative] could manage a short while without oxygen so they arranged that [relative] can be without the canister for short periods.” Another relative told us, “Before [relative] moved into Aran Lodge, they were very malnourished and unable to care of themselves. You can now see a noticeable difference in their health condition, and they have put on weight.”

The service detected and controlled potential risks in the care environment. They made sure equipment, facilities and technology supported the delivery of safe care. The environment was adapted to meet the needs of people living there. There were spacious living areas offering people plenty of room to relax and engage in activities comfortably. Additionally, people had access to outdoor spaces, providing an opportunity to enjoy fresh air and relax in the gardens. People had their own rooms and specialist equipment was provided as needed. Maintenance staff were employed to ensure the premises were well-maintained and safe. There were systems in place to ensure any maintenance needed was recorded and responded to promptly. Records of checks on equipment and the premises were accurate, well maintained and up to date demonstrating that checks and servicing had taken place as required to ensure a safe environment.

The service made sure there were enough qualified, skilled and experienced staff, who received effective support, supervision and development. Staff worked together well to provide safe care that met people’s individual needs. The registered manager had processes in place to ensure all staff received an induction and staff we spoke with told us they had an extensive induction. Appropriate checks were in place before staff started work including providing full work histories, references and a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. DBS provide information including details about convictions and cautions held on the Police National Computer. The information helps employers make safer recruitment decisions. However, not all references received had been verified. The deputy manager told us they would ensure all future references received were verified.

A person told us, “There is always someone around to help me. I don’t have to wait around for help.” A relative told us, “I think there are enough staff to cater for the residents needs including in the evenings and weekends. Staffing is consistent with the same carers and there is not a high turnover of staff.” Another relative told us, “I can’t believe how many staff they have at the home, and they all seem to stay which is a good thing.”

A health professional told us, “Staff have had support in training with the Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust [EPUT] Care Home Education team on a yearly basis, we provide training during visits. Staff have always treated residents with care and support whenever we have visited the home.” Another health professional told us, “While I’m unsure of their exact staffing levels, during my visits to assess or review patients, staff have consistently responded promptly, whether answering the door or attending to patients. There also always appears to be someone present to support patients in communal areas. Staff appear to be skilled and experienced; with a clear understanding of the individuals they support.”

The registered manager 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 and prevention control and the provider had policies in place for staff to follow, should there be any outbreaks of infectious diseases. The service had regular cleaning schedules in place and staff had personal protection equipment (PPE) available for their use. The service have an infection control champion who monitors the cleaning schedules and ensures staff are using PPE correctly and storing Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) products safely and ensures there is enough stock in the building.

A health professional told us, “No concerns noted when in the home, areas are clean, hand washing facilities available with soap and hand towels when needed.”

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. Staff had systems in place to safely manage medicines including refreshing medicine training and competency checks. Audits were in place to check medicines were being managed safely and people received their medicines when they needed them.