Autumn 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. At our last assessment we rated this key question good. At this assessment the rating has remained 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 told us staff were caring. Comments included, ‘Yes they look after me well,’ ‘I like it here, [staff] are all lovely,’ and, ‘Very caring indeed’. A relative said, “I can’t fault the place, especially the staff, they are so caring.”

Staff were kind, respectful and patient. We saw warm interactions between staff and people. Staff respected people’s privacy by knocking on bedroom doors and greeting people warmly. Staff spoke passionately about wanting to deliver high-quality, person-centred care. The provider told us, “Dignity, respect and human rights are embedded in everyday practice and reinforced through supervision and training.”

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.

Staff understood people’s preferences and wishes and knew them well. Care plans contained a strong level of information to guide staff in how people wished to be treated and cared for. Extensive life stories and histories gave a holistic picture of the person.

One relative told us, “They know [person] so well. [Person] can be tricky at times, but staff have never given up on them.” Another relative said, “Other homes haven’t been able to support [person], but here it’s different. They seem to have got to know [person] on a different level.” Staff told us that they had plenty of time to get to know people by talking with them and reading their backgrounds and histories. One staff member said, “People have lived a lot of life before they came here, we need to remember that.”

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

We saw people being given choices throughout the inspection, and care records demonstrated people’s wishes were adhered to. Relatives also felt their loved ones had choices and control over their care. One told us, “[Person] has their specific ways, the staff know these though, like how to make sure they eat and how important it is that they feel in control.” The provider, management team and staff had built up good relationships with families, and had a good understanding of what preferences people had, including what they could still do for themselves. For example, one person was supported to go shopping independently as this was important to them. Care plans highlighted people’s preferences, and we saw staff honouring these.

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.

We observed staff interacting with people in a caring, respectful and dignified manner. It was evident that the provider understood people's changing needs and responded proactively to ensure care and support remained appropriate, person-centred and effective. A visiting professional told us, “I can communicate with the team very well regarding people’s needs. They respond very promptly to emails or calls. They will also initiate contact with our team if needed, for example, in emergencies, or with concerns and questions.”

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

Staff consistently told us they felt valued, respected and well supported in their roles. They described a positive culture characterised by openness, teamwork and effective communication. Management were seen as approachable, supportive and committed to providing high-quality care.

The service benefited from a stable and experienced workforce, with many staff having worked at the home for a considerable period. The provider demonstrated a commitment to staff development through comprehensive induction programmes, ongoing training and opportunities for career progression. This investment supported staff retention, enabling people to receive consistent care from staff who knew them well and understood their individual preferences and needs. Staff also received recognition for their commitment by way of a gift at 5, 10 and 15 years’ service.

The provider had implemented a range of initiatives to support staff development and promote a sense of appreciation. For example, a ‘carer of the month’ award, where peers can nominate each other for a prize. The provider had an Employee Welfare Programme which included a wellbeing app and access to confidential counselling should this be required. Staff were actively encouraged to share ideas, raise concerns and contribute to the ongoing development of the service, fostering an inclusive and collaborative working environment. A staff member told us, “There is a good supportive culture, management are helpful, open and approachable. Staff engage well across teams from, kitchen, housekeeping, care staff. We all help each other.”