Mickleboro 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 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 provider always treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

People and their relatives were consistently positive about the caring attitude of staff. Relatives told us the staff team knew their family members well and they were kind. One relative told us, “There is definitely a different ethos since the new provider has taken over the service. The staff are very kind and respectful.” Another relative commented, “Not only do the staff team do a good job caring for my family member, but they also check on my wellbeing”.

We saw people received care and support that was compassionate and kind. Staff understood how to provide care in a way that respected people’s privacy and dignity. For example, a member of staff told us, “(Person) only has a male support worker for personal care, we always make sure a male care worker is allocated.” We observed a sufficient mix of staff on shift to accommodate these preferences.

The provider and staff had a good rapport with each person and responded to them respectfully with warmth, kindness and compassion. The atmosphere within the service was welcoming, warm and relaxed. People were seen moving around the service freely and comfortably and approaching staff for support when they needed it. We saw positive interactions between staff and the people they supported and between the people living at the service.

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 were encouraged to keep and develop their independence and were supported to realise their ambitions. Relatives told us their family members were supported to be independent and were given choice and control over their day to day lives. One relative commented, “I was shocked to see my [Person] make their bed, I never thought they would do that”.

Care delivered was personalised and tailored to people’s individual needs. Staff showed understanding in how to effectively communicate, interact, engage with or support people living at Mickleboro Lodge in a meaningful way. One member of staff told us, “Care plans give a good overview of the whole person and tells us how to support and communicate with them. For example, when (Person) first came here, they were very challenging. I have got to know them well and we talk on a level they understand in a firm and fair way to help manage feelings of agitation. By communicating effectively, we have a relationship built on respect.”

People’s individual needs and preferences were understood and reflected in their care, treatment and support plans. These considered people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture, unique backgrounds and protected characteristics, including their religious beliefs and sexual orientation. We saw a person’s activity schedule had been created with their involvement which included regular visits to the local church. Staff told us “If somebody showed interest in any religion, we would support them”.

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

Relatives told us their family members were supported to access activities and the local community to promote and support their independence, health and wellbeing. One relative commented, “I am happy with the activities provided, my (Person) loves going to a local coffee shop and they go every day”. We observed people enjoying the indoor and outdoor spaces comfortably and engaging with staff in a meaningful way. Staff provided personalised support that enabled people to have choice and control in their lives and participate, where they were able, in day to day living activities such as shopping, cleaning, laundry and cooking. A member of staff told us, “People eat lunch when they are ready, some people we support to cook on the hob, some can just go to the fridge, (Person) can cook their own meals”.

Care plans contained information about people’s life histories which provided staff with an understanding of the individuals past experiences, which enabled them to tailor their approach, build stronger relationships and enhance the individual's well-being and sense of identity. Care plans also detailed supporting people to manage their own finances and build on skills such as reading and writing.

Keyworker reports provided information on how staff supported people to make choices and achieve their ambitions and goals. This included accessing places and activities of interest, including going into town for self-care activities such as going to the hairdressers, having nails and eye lashes done, shopping for food and personal items and going to places like the cat cafe to see and stroke the cats. One person’s keyworker report reflected their goal was to move to their own apartment in Clacton with staff support. Their key worker report had been updated to reflect they were ready for the next step towards more independence in their own space. The person told us they were moving to their own flat in a few weeks’ time.

People were supported to maintain important relationships. We saw staff supporting a person to add the contact numbers of friends and family into a new mobile phone they had been supported to purchase. People received visitors in line with national best practice guidance to keep relationships with family and friends.

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.

The provider and staff were alert to people’s needs and took time to see, communicate and engage with them to discuss their immediate needs, including making appointments with relevant health professionals where they expressed concerns about their health.

People’s needs, wishes and comfort were a priority and were anticipated quickly by staff to reduce any discomfort, concern or distress. One member of staff told us they had received challenging behaviour training, which had equipped them with the skills to know how to support people when they were experiencing difficulties managing their emotions and anxieties. They described how they talked with the person to try to diffuse the situation by talking about other things and provide reassurance. Staff knew how to respond to people appropriately and respected their wishes, needs and preferences.

The provider cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care.

The provider had systems in place that promoted staff’s wellbeing through inclusivity, active listening, and open conversations, enabling staff to do their job well and to be well. Staff told us the service had improved under the new provider, and they now felt supported to deliver the right care to people. One member of staff told us, “The provider is good, they support and treat us fairly, I feel respected.”

The provider cared about the wellbeing of their staff. They ensured staff did not work excessive hours, had regular breaks, and was in the process of arranging for a summer house to be built in the garden to provide staff with a designated rest area. Comments included, “We do have regular breaks, staff need these breaks as people here are highly dependent,” and “Management are understanding of our needs, they ask us if shifts can be covered, but there are no negative consequences if you refuse”.

The provider had systems in place to formally support staff and follow up on their progress, such as staff meetings and formal supervisions. Staff meetings gave them the opportunity for their voice to be heard, raise concerns or make suggestions to improve the quality and safety of the service and outcomes for staff. Supervision meetings also provided an effective overview of staff performance, to ensure they were carrying out their roles to the expected standard and identify if any further training and support was needed to support their development to meet the needs of people safely. Systems were in place to support staff experiencing personal challenges and incentive bonuses to show staff they were valued. A financial reward was given to the nominated ‘employee of the month’. Staff told us they felt valued and benefitted from a paid day off work to celebrate their birthday. One member of staff commented, “We have ‘employee of the month’ and get positive feedback from the provider, which makes me feel valued and recognised”.