Skirbeck 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 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 85 (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 was exceptional at treating people with kindness, empathy and compassion and in how they respected people’s privacy and dignity. People spoke highly of the care they received. One person told us, “This care is the best that I have received. I came from a place where I could not get help from staff as they were always too busy and there were too many other people who they were busy with. The staff here are very good and very caring.”

A staff member told us, “We are like one big family here." Another staff member told us, "I treat people here the same way that I would like my own family to be treated."

All the feedback we received from health and social care professionals involved in peoples care and treatment spoke very highly of the staff working at the service. We saw a strong staff team at all levels be highly motivated offering support that was exceptionally compassionate and kind. Staff demonstrate a real empathy for the people they care for, which demonstrated in the positive outcomes and progress people made. External professionals shared positive feedback about the approach of staff including, “It has for me been lovely to go out and observe care to individuals that I would be comfortable for a family member to receive.”

We observed kind interactions between staff and people. People were involved in activities, conversation and given emotional support. When speaking to staff, they spoke about people with compassion and care, genuinely wanting them to progress in their care journey by supporting them to build confidence and skills living in a new environment.

Staff always treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respected their opinions in how people were treated. Staff from all organisations involved commented on how well the staff treated people as individuals recognising their past living with long term restrictions. They demonstrated and wanted to enable people under their care to live more fulfilled lives. Peoples’ privacy and dignity was at the heart of the service’s culture and values. It was embedded in everything that the service and its staff do.

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 told us they were able to follow their interests and start new hobbies with the support of staff. Through 1:1 interaction including conversations and activities, staff were able to build stronger relationships and were able to have better understanding of the level of support that people required.

All staff were particularly sensitive to times when people needed caring and compassionate support. They discuss this with them and helped people explore their needs and preferences in relation to personal and family support. One person had been supported to re-establish a family relationship that had broken down when in the hospital environment.

The “our voice meeting” was a monthly meeting held by and for the people living at Skirbeck Lodge, giving them the opportunity to share their experiences with their peers. Staff supported people to make their own choices and decisions but used their knowledge of people including their existing conditions and restrictions to guide and direct. Staff were able to tell us about people’s individual care, support needs and how they wished to work with staff. One professional commented on the exceptional great care and support being provided to people to enable them to progress to less restrictive living environment in the future.

One person shared, “I am included and Involved in my care. I can make decisions and choices of how I want to be treated and cared for.”

The provider promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and well being.

External teams supported staff with processes that were in place due to the risks, conditions and restrictions involving the people living at Skirbeck Lodge. Through open discussion and joint working, staff at Skirbeck Lodge challenged and questioned decisions that would have potentially impacted a person’s quality of life within the community, doing so on the person’s behalf. Staff worked alongside people and were supported to understand their restrictions and potential risks while living in the community.

People were provided with easy read copies of documentation in formats that they could understand to better help their understandingof their rights and what they could achieve with the support of staff in the future.

Staff told us they always encouraged people to continue to do the things they could do for themselves; this supported people to maintain their skills, independence and control. Staff's comments included, "I always promote independence with people, let them do things they can.” They also enabled people to develop new skills to support them day to day. For example using public transport and safety within the community.

We observed posters in the communal areas that showed activity timetables in the local areas that included swimming, group walks and exercise class programs. One person told us “We do loads of activities here. I like to go litter picking, swimming, bike riding and bird watching.”

The provider 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. Staff were attentive and used their knowledge of people to identify changes in people’s needs. They noticed when people were anxious or distressed and responded promptly. Staff were aware of individuals preferred ways of working and this was documented in their care records. Staff were present in communal areas, and we observed staff supporting people and providing reassurances with anxieties related to daily activities.

Staff shared positive feedback about their management team and other staff members, which contributed to a collaborative work environment. Staff said they felt listened to and that they could raise concerns or make suggestions without fear of judgement. One person told us the manager responded to feedback and ensured they had the tools they needed to do their job well. Staff confirmed they had access to regular training, supervision, and guidance, which helped them feel confident in their roles.

Skirbeck Lodge used an anonymous online staff survey tool where staff members were able to share and voice their opinions to the management team on the service and what they felt is or is not working so well. The evidence would be collated by the management team and shared with the staff with actions agreed by the team.

Staff said there was a fair approach to sharing responsibilities and ensuring rest time. The manager was approachable and had an open-door policy that welcomed staff and allowed them to discuss their individual needs, which included any wellbeing concerns. This demonstrated that staffs safety and mental health were taken seriously.[NE1]

Staff members reported a positive and supportive culture within Skirbeck Lodge, where open communication and mutual respect was encouraged, contributing to a safe and inclusive environment where staff could thrive, and people benefited from consistent, compassionate care.