Kings Lodge

On this page

• Overview
• Shared direction and culture
• Capable, compassionate and inclusive leaders
• Freedom to speak up
• Workforce equality, diversity and inclusion
• Governance, management and sustainability
• Partnerships and communities
• Learning, improvement and innovation

Well-led – this means we looked for evidence that service leadership, management and governance assured high-quality, person-centred care; supported learning and innovation; and promoted an open, fair culture.

At our last assessment we rated this key question good. At this assessment the rating has remained good.

This meant the service was consistently managed and well-led. Leaders and the culture they created promoted high-quality, person-centred care.

This service scored 72 (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 had a shared vision, strategy and culture. This was based on transparency, equity, equality and human rights, diversity and inclusion, engagement, and understanding challenges and the needs of people and their communities.

People and relatives were overall positive about the management team. A relative told us, “The home manager and [Unit manager] are so supportive and helpful.

The management team was visible in the service, approachable and took a genuine interest in what people, staff, relatives and professionals had to say.

The management team worked hard to instil a culture of care in which staff were valued and promoted people’s individuality, protected their rights and enabled them to thrive. Staff told us there was a good and positive culture within the home. Their comments included, “We have a good team that works together” and “I feel very positive about our team. We work well together and are able to talk about our concerns to each other.”

The registered manager set a culture that valued reflection, learning and improvement. The management team effectively used staff supervision and regular team meetings as a platform for staff to raise any concerns and an opportunity to share their views and opinions.

Overall, people and relatives were positive about the management team, and thought they had the skills, knowledge, experience and credibility to lead effectively.

Staff found the management team to be visible and supportive. Their comments included, “The manager’s office is always open, and I feel comfortable going to them with any queries. I attend all meetings which are held once a month.” And “I find [Registered manager] and [Deputy manager] to be supportive of myself and my team.” Staff also said they felt valued and listened to by the unit leaders and managers. One staff member said, “They listen to my opinion, and we have a conversation of what we will do.”

The provider had implemented a management structure with clear roles and delegated responsibilities. During our observations, we found the unit managers to be skilled and pro-active when running the units. The staff reported they felt well supported by them and they led by example.

In addition to monthly staff meetings, there were daily handover meetings to discuss important information, and any risks to service delivery. There were processes to support managers and senior staff in meeting their responsibilities.

The provider fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard.

Staff told us they knew about the provider’s whistleblowing policy and would not hesitate to use this to benefit staff and people living at the home. One staff member told us, “We have a poster on our wall dedicated to whistleblowing and who we get in contact with. If I felt like something was wrong, I would call the number on the poster for help.” Another said, “I would feel comfortable to whistle blow if I felt the need to. I haven’t had to whistle blow before. I would get in contact with my local authority.”

The provider had some processes in place to support staff to speak up. This included supervision meetings, handover meetings, staff meetings and a whistleblowing policy. Staff had also received training in safeguarding to reinforce their understanding and their responsibility to speak up.

People were given information when they moved to the home about how to raise a concern. Complaints were recorded and acted upon.

The provider valued diversity in their workforce. They worked towards an inclusive and fair culture by improving equality and equity for people who worked for them.

Staff told us they were supported to work flexibly when necessary. Where a need was identified, the provider offered reasonable adjustments to support staff to maintain their role and position within the home.

The registered manager explained that recently, they had adjusted a care worker’s hours to enable them to pick up their child when their partner was not able to. This had helped the care worker to continue to work whilst reducing the stress associated with childcare.

The provider had policies to promote equality, diversity and inclusion and to protect staff from discrimination and harassment. The staff handbook given to all new staff at the start of their employment provided guidance on their implementation within the home.

The provider had monitoring systems in place to help ensure concerns were identified and addressed in a timely manner and most were effective. However, some of the audits completed had not identified the concerns we found in relation to medicines management. This meant there was a risk that people could be harmed. However, the provider took appropriate actions following our feedback to make the necessary improvements and reinforce their monitoring systems.

Staff told us they felt supported and valued by the registered manager who was available whenever they needed them. Staff said they were supported to keep up to date with the care people required through the information recorded on handheld mobile devices linked to the electronic care planning system. One staff member said, “We have access to people’s care plans so we know what they need.” Unit managers had responsibility for monitoring staff and to ensure people’s needs were met. This included checking people’s care plans and risk assessments were up to date.

The provider understood their duty to collaborate and work in partnership, so services worked seamlessly for people. They shared information and learning with partners and collaborated for improvement.

People and relatives told us they had access to health professionals including the GP who visited regularly.

Staff told us they regularly worked with health professionals so people’s needs would be met, such as the tissue viability nurses and occupational therapists. The registered manager told us they had a good working relationship with a range of external professionals. They said, “We are very well supported by all the external professionals who make scheduled visits and available as and when we require additional support and advice. The team are aware of how to contact them when required and are comfortable do so. When we receive expert advice it is added in to our care planning process.”

Healthcare professionals who visited Kings Lodge were complimentary about the management team. One healthcare professional told us, “The management team are dedicated to creating a positive atmosphere for both residents and staff. They are approachable and receptive to feedback, continuously striving to improve the service. Their leadership is a key factor in the high standard of care provided.” They added, “The staff's communication and teamwork are good, as well as their focus on resident-centred care. The service creates a safe, nurturing, and positive environment that residents truly benefit from. The activities programme is excellent and always well attended by the residents.”

The provider had systems and processes to ensure people’s needs were reviewed with external professionals. The provider listened to feedback from them and where a need was identified, amended their policies and procedures to promote effective communication and partnership working.

The provider focused on continuous learning, innovation and improvement across the organisation and local system. They encouraged creative ways of delivering equality of experience, outcome and quality of life for people. They actively contributed to safe, effective practice and research.

People were consulted individually during a review or conversation, or as part of a residents’ meeting, to find out if they had any concerns or requests. We saw people’s opinions and requests were taken seriously. For example, the provider had put in place a ‘You said, we did’ document to show improvements made from people’s suggestions. Examples included one person stating they ‘missed freshly baked goods’, and home baking sessions were happening regularly. Another person had requested more opportunities to be active, and the provider had introduced daily chair yoga, light exercise classes, and a walking club to the woodland for all mobility levels.

Staff told us the managers were always aiming to make improvements to the service in order to benefit people who used it and they enjoyed being part of this.

The provider had created a team of ‘Ambassadors’, each of whom had a particular area they were responsible for. Areas of responsibly included wound care, kindness and compassion, infection control, Safeguarding, customer experience and mealtimes and dining. Ambassadors took responsibility for ensuring processes reflected best practice, supporting their colleagues and cascading information when things changed.