We carried out a review of the data available to us about Howard Lodge Care Centre on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about Howard Lodge Care Centre, you can give feedback on this service.
Howard Lodge provides accommodation with personal and nursing care for older people, some of whom may be living with dementia. Howard Lodge accommodates 72 people across four separate units, known as hamlets, each of which has separate adapted facilities. At the time of the inspection 71 people were using the service.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
Feedback from people and relatives about their experience of using the service was universally positive. This was summed up by one relative who told us, “I have nothing but praise for this home. The quality of leadership and togetherness of staff, their genuine caring nature, all of this stands out.” This sentiment was echoed by everyone we spoke with.
The provider and registered manager demonstrated exceptional leadership and lead by example, promoting a highly caring and person-centred ethos where people’s needs and wishes were placed at the heart of the service. Consequently, the culture within the service was extremely positive. Staff felt listened to and valued, and worked very well together as a cohesive and supportive team.
The level of engagement with people, their relatives and the staff team was excellent. The service listened to people and actively sought feedback to ensure people, relatives and staff were fully included in how the service was run
Staff morale was high and staff told us they loved their jobs. This benefitted people who were supported by a happy, stable workforce who knew them very well. The positive impact of this was summed up by a relative who told us, “Carers walk around with smiles on their faces. That’s a great lift for everyone.”
We were provided with numerous examples of the kind and caring nature of staff and how the service went the extra mile to meet people’s needs and aspirations. Family members told us there was a positive atmosphere at the service and people were encouraged and supported to take part in a range of stimulating and meaningful activities.
The service demonstrated a commitment to providing opportunities for people to continue to do things they had previously enjoyed or try new things. Best practice guidance was consistently applied to support people with dementia to have opportunities for meaningful engagement.
The provider had invested in time and resources to ensure the building and gardens were attractive and well maintained and met the individual needs of the people who lived there. Careful consideration had been given to ensuring the environment was ‘dementia-friendly’, providing lots of opportunities for stimulation, exploration and reminiscence.
The service had been recognised and won awards for its level of community engagement. Strong links with the community had been forged which provided people with opportunities to feel like valued members of their community and promote their social inclusion.
The provider demonstrated a strong commitment to providing excellent end of life care which considered the support needs of people, their relatives and staff. When people died, care and attention was given to remembering and celebrating their lives with their relatives and staff.
The training staff received was of a very good quality and staff were encouraged to continuously develop their skills and knowledge. People were supported to have as much choice and control over their lives and were supported in the least restrictive way possible. Policies and systems in the service support this practice.
The safety and quality of the service was monitored and assessed consistently. Regular audits on all aspects of the service were completed and improvements were made when needed. The service was creative and innovative looking at different ways they could continuously improve the service and ensure positive outcomes for people.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection. The last rating for this service was Good (April 2017)
Why we inspected. This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
We were made aware of a notification of a specific incident. Following which a person using the service died. This incident is currently subject to investigation. As a result, this inspection did not examine the circumstances of the incident.
The information CQC received about the incident indicated concerns about the unsafe management of medicines. This inspection examined those risks. We found no evidence during this inspection that people were at risk of harm from this concern, and this had been an isolated incident.
Follow up: We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.
Howard Lodge is a residential care home registered to provide accommodation for 72 older people who require personal care. There were 71 people living at the home on the day of our inspection.
When we last visited the service it was rated good. At this inspection we found the service remained good.
People were safe from the risk of abuse, staff had knowledge of safeguarding and understood their responsibilities to report any concerns.
Risks were assessed and suitable control measures put in place, which still enabled people to maintain as much independence as possible.
There were sufficient numbers of staff to ensure that people's needs were met and recruitment practices ensured that staff were of good character and suitable for their roles.
Medicines were stored, administered and recorded safely and correctly. Staff were trained in the safe administration of medicines and maintained relevant records that were accurate.
Staff received an induction and on-going training to make sure they had the skills and knowledge to be competent in their role. Staff were well supported and had opportunities to discuss any concerns and training needs they might have.
People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.
There were positive relationships between people and members of staff. Staff treated people with kindness and took the time to get to know them and their interests whilst providing their care.
The service had involved people and their relatives in care and support planning to ensure that care was provided in the way they wanted it to be. Staff could describe how individual people preferred their care and support delivered and the importance of treating people with dignity and respect.
The service had an effective complaints procedure in place and responded to complaints appropriately.
People had access to a range of activities in and out of the home which reflected their interests and preferences.
The provider had systems in place to regularly assess and monitor the quality of service and identified and acted on any areas that required improvement.
This inspection took place on 19 February 2015 and was unannounced.
Howard Lodge Care Centre is registered to provide accommodation for 72 older people who require personal care. People may also have needs associated with dementia. There were 41 people living at the home on the day of our inspection.
A registered manager was in post in the service. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.
Staff had attended training on safeguarding people. They were knowledgeable about identifying abuse and how to report it. Recruitment procedures were thorough. Risk management plans were in place to support people to have as much independence as possible while keeping them safe. There were also processes in place to manage any risks in relation to the running of the home.
Medicines were safely stored, recorded and administered in line with current guidance to ensure people received their prescribed medicines to meet their needs. People had regular access to healthcare professionals. A wide choice of food and drinks was available to people that reflected their nutritional needs, and took into account their personal lifestyle preferences or health care needs.
People were supported by skilled staff who knew them well and were available in sufficient numbers to meet people's needs effectively. People felt their dignity and privacy was respected and they all spoke in a complimentary way about the kind and caring approach of the staff. Visitors felt welcome and people were supported to maintain relationships and participate in social activities and outings.
Staff were well trained and used their training effectively to support people. Staff understood and complied with the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the associated Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards.
Care plans were regularly reviewed and showed that the person, or where appropriate their relatives, had been involved. They included people’s preferences and individual needs so that staff had clear information on how to give people the care that they needed. People told us that they received the care they needed.
The service was well led as people knew the manager and found them to be approachable and available in the home. People living and working in the service had opportunity to say how they felt about the home and the service it provided. Their views were listened to and actions were taken in response. The provider and registered manager had robust systems in place to check on the quality and safety of the service provided, to put actions plans in place where needed, and to check that these were completed.