Chase Lodge Care Home

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

People were treated with kindness and compassion and staff respected their privacy and dignity. People and their relatives were positive about staff. They told us permanent staff knew them well and understood how to communicate effectively and support them to meet their preferences and wishes. People’s choices and independence were understood, and respected. Staff listened to people and offered meaningful choices. People accessed the local community and activities which were of interest to them. People’s personal, cultural, and social needs were understood and met and there was an inclusive atmosphere. Support records reflected people’s preferences and provided guidance for staff. People were encouraged to express their views through surveys, meetings and on a day to day basis with staff. We saw staff adapting their approach and communication style depending on each individual or situation. Staff worked with people to minimise any discomfort or distress they might experience. Staff respected and supported each other to work as a cohesive team. They felt supported by the management team and were able to make suggestions to improve the service people received.

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.

People were treated with kindness and compassion and staff respected their privacy and dignity. One person said, “The staff are kind. I like it here, they do look after me and my needs.” Another added, “Staff do listen, [manager names] go the extra mile to help.” People told us permanent staff knew them well and understood how best to support them to meet their preferences and wishes. A relative said, “I want to reiterate, [deputy manager] is fantastic, so dedicated. She looks upon the residents as family. She’s outstanding.”

Staff told us they treated people kindly and with dignity and responded to their changing needs. Staff told us how they upheld people’s dignity when their mental health support needs fluctuated, as this could mean people required more support with their personal care. One staff member said, “I treat them as I would want to be treated. Smile, speak nicely, listen, they will feel you are taking time to understand.” Another staff member said, “It’s innate in me, listening is a big part of the day, eye contact, body language. I’ve worked in care for many years. I read people and I adapt myself to meet people’s needs.” Staff respected and supported each other to work as a cohesive team.

Professionals who had contact with the service told us staff respected their advice and guidance and worked with them to best support people. We received very positive feedback from professionals who had contact with the service. One professional said, “I hold the highest regard for the staff in terms of their attitude, compassion, tolerance and capability. They adopt a normalising approach to people’s care, an enabling attitude with respect to integration into the wider community, and a dignified manner of responding when people are distressed and responding in challenging behavioural ways. I just wish there were more placements with the skill and dedication which I have observed in Chase Lodge.” Another professional told us, “When I have visited Chase Lodge, I have always been impressed by the way the staff interact with people and show great patience. The staff seem to understand the needs of the people who live at the service and have a great rapport with them in what can sometimes be a challenging environment.”

We saw staff treating people kindly and being patient with individuals during our visit to the service. Staff listened to people and communicated with them in appropriate ways to support their understanding.

People were treated as individuals and their needs and preferences were known and respected. For example, supporting people in relationships or to engage in activities they enjoyed. One relative told us appearance was important to their family member, and staff supported them with personal grooming and purchasing accessories.

Staff said they treated people as individuals and were aware of their strengths and unique needs. They told us it was important to get to know people. One staff member said, “Initially we know about people through care plans, but we ask them, we get to know them with good communication. People’s needs and preferences change on a daily basis.” Staff told us how they would communicate with people in different situations to support them. One staff member explained they took advice from colleagues to understand how best to respond to people. They said, “Sometimes I don’t know how to respond, then I speak to other staff. I take on other people’s opinions, I’m conscious of my accent and pace of speaking.”

People seemed at ease and relaxed around staff and in the home. We saw people’s personal, cultural, and social needs were understood and met and there was an inclusive atmosphere. For example, people were reminded that they would be assisted with food and drink preparation as needed, and everyone was encouraged to join the evening walking group for a ‘slow-paced stroll around the park’.

Records provided guidance about how best to support people to meet their individual needs and preferences. For example, being aware of environmental factors and stressors or describing the best ways of interacting with people in different situations.

People and their relatives were generally positive about staff and the service they received. One person said, “I can’t fault the place.” People told us staff communicated with them clearly to ensure they understood their choices and rights. Most people within the service accessed the local community independently. People were encouraged to try new experiences, develop new skills and gain independence. This included being supported to access activities. People said they particularly enjoyed music therapy, art sessions and baking cakes. One person was keen to go out more during the summer, and the service had a vehicle they could use when necessary. People were supported to maintain relationships that were important to them, and friends and family could usually visit at any time.

Staff and the registered manager understood people’s choices and independence were important to them. We saw staff listening to people, offering choices and giving time to respond. Staff spoke positively about people and described how they provided person centred care. Staff told us they felt it was important to support people to know their rights and have control over their life where possible. One staff member told us, “We encourage people’s independence. We prompt people to do things for themselves such as make a cup of tea, we try to promote this.” A programme of activities was in place and the service promoted local events to people. The registered manager told us they had access to a minibus and driver to support outings. Staff told us there were plans to focus more on independence and reablement at the service. We were told a communal bathroom was due to be changed into a kitchen for people to develop and maintain their daily living skills.

People had choice and control about the care they received and making decisions about their day. For example, on the day we visited, people were arranging shopping trips and outings. Staff were observed engaging with people in a caring and respectful manner during our visit. We saw that staff knew people well and this meant they were able to give people space or more support depending on each person and situation.

The service had systems and policies to ensure people’s independence was promoted and their rights and choices respected. Support plans reflected people’s preferences and the decisions they had made.

People told us they felt staff listened to them and took action to support them. One person said, “Yes they do respond to my needs and communicate with me about things.”

Staff told us they tried to respond consistently to people’s needs, views and wishes. Because they knew people well, staff felt able to anticipate people’s needs or wishes and could therefore avoid or minimise discomfort or distress.

We saw staff listening and responding and adapting to people’s needs and wishes. We did not witness any emergency situations during our visit to the service.

Staff told us they felt supported and listened to by the management team. They were able to provide feedback and make suggestions. This helped to ensure people received safe, effective and person-centred care.

The provider told us about ways in which they cared about and promoted the wellbeing of staff. For example, counselling and wellbeing support were available. They aimed to support staff if they were struggling at work. The support available to staff addressed a diverse range of needs and this had a positive impact on the people who lived at Chase Lodge.