Hunters Lodge

On this page

• Overview
• Assessing needs
• Delivering evidence-based care and treatment
• How staff, teams and services work together
• Supporting people to live healthier lives
• Monitoring and improving outcomes
• Consent to care and treatment

Overall, people’s individual needs were assessed, and staff had detailed guidance of how to provide effective care and support. Where shortfalls were identified, immediate action was taken by the management team. Staff were experienced, knowledgeable and competent in meeting people’s needs. People were supported with their nutritional and hydration needs. Staff worked effectively with external professionals and staff supported people with their health conditions and care needs, including accessing health services and screening. Staff understood the principles of the Mental Capacity Act, where people lacked capacity to consent to specific decisions about their care, assessments and best interest decisions were made.

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.

Relatives confirmed they were satisfied with the level of care and support their family member received. This included individual care needs being assessed and understood by staff and met in a person centred way. A relative said, “Luckily, Hunters Lodge had a space and since [name] moved in their mental and physical state has improved. I just cannot be more grateful to all staff who understood from the start my relation’s needs, [name] is now a million times better, being totally broken when they arrived.”

Staff confirmed they were an established staff team that worked well together and had developed a good understanding of people’s individual care and support needs. Staff demonstrated a good awareness of people’s individual care needs and said they felt guidance was sufficiently detailed and kept up to date. Staff spoke highly of the management team and their ability, experience and competency in assessing people’s needs and providing staff with guidance of how to meet needs and responding to any concerns or queries. A staff member said, “The manager is spot on with guidance, and makes us aware of any changes. Updates are shared straight the way by the management team.” Another staff member said, “Care plans are reviewed by management regularly and updated. Staff can raise a concern or notify the management team if they need updating sooner.”

Some people had complex, high dependency needs and overall, we found care plans provided staff with detailed, person centred guidance about how to meet people’s individual care needs. Guidance had been updated when needs had changed. However, we also found some inconsistencies in the level of guidance for staff, or information was inconsistent or missing. For example, 1 person had some health conditions, but staff were not provided with guidance of impact on the person, what to look for and actions required if the person became unwell. Another person experienced two types of epilepsy but only one was referenced in their care plan but both, in their risk assessment. Shortfalls identified were discussed with the management team and immediate action was taken. We were assured by the actions taken. We concluded this was a recording issue. People’s communication needs and preferences were assessed and detailed communication passports developed. We saw staff effectively communicating with people.

People told us they had a choice of meals and drinks. Some people told us they could make drinks independently and we observed people making drinks and helping themselves to a snack. Some people had chosen to be on a weight loss plan and told us about this and how staff were supporting with their weight loss goal. A person said, “I like making teas and coffees and cakes. Today we have casserole, but I have a different choice, meatballs and pasta -it’s my favourite. Staff order shopping, but I help putting it away, so I know where everything is.” Another person said, “I will also have meatballs and pasta today, but not too much, I have to follow my food plan, I have that to keep me healthy. I don’t miss eating anything, I just need to have small portions so only two meatballs for me.” Relatives confirmed they were satisfied with the support provided with meeting hydration and nutritional needs. A relative said, “[Name] has their food purred now and staff support them to eat and drink. Staff are well organised, there's no rushing around.” Another relative said, “I know there are always a choice of meals and drinks.”

Staff told us how they met people’s different nutritional and hydration needs, this included modified diets and specialist feeding regimes where some people received food and fluids via a feeding tube direct into the stomach. Staff confirmed they had received specific training that required their competency assessing to ensure they completed this safely. Staff also confirmed they had detailed guidance about meeting people’s individual eating and drinking needs. The registered manager told us how people’s weight was regularly reviewed, and the actions taken if changes were identified. The registered manager also confirmed how they were supported by the Home Enteral Nutrition Service (HENS) and Speech and Language Service in safely meeting people’s individual eating and drinking needs.

The provider had systems and processes that assessed people’s nutrition and hydration needs. People’s individual assessments, care plans, risk assessments and daily care records associated with eating and drinking were personalised, reflected recommendations by external health care professionals and followed by staff and regularly reviewed. People’s weights were also monitored to ensure any changes could be acted upon. People received a choice of meals and drinks and people’s preferences, and any cultural needs were respected and met. Food stocks were good and managed safely. Staff had received specialist training and their competency assessed in meeting people’s health care needs associated with eating and drinking. The provider had policies based on best practice guidance and legislation. Recognised assessment tools were used to assess and monitor people’s individual needs.

Relatives were positive how staff worked with external health and social care professionals and how information was shared, to ensure continuity of care for their family member. A relative said, “Staff meet all health care needs very well. They contact the GP, out of hours and nurses when required and keep me informed. [Name] mood has improved since being at the service, they had become quiet, but they are now thriving, more vocal and very alert.” Another relative said,”[Name] visits regularly other mental health professionals, all organised by Hunters Lodge and guidance and instructions are implemented immediately by staff at the service.”

Staff confirmed how they worked with external health and social care professionals, including specialist services to ensure care was coordinated and joined up. Staff told us of the specific training they had received from healthcare professionals in meetings some people’s health related needs. Staff confirmed they also had their competency assessed in these areas to check they could provide safe and effective care. A staff member said, “We work well together [with visiting professionals], we know what to do and get explanations for any changes.” The registered manager told us of the positive relationships they had developed with community and hospital nursing professionals and how this collaborative approach supported people to achieve positive outcomes and supported consistency in care deliver.

External professionals confirmed how well the management team and staff had worked with them to make improvements and support people to achieve positive outcomes.

Staff worked collaboratively with external health and social care professionals to support people to achieve positive outcomes and consistent care. Referrals to external professionals for additional assessment, support and any health related specific staff training was requested in a timely manner. People’s care records confirmed any recommendations made by visiting professionals were incorporate into the individual person’s care plan. The provider had systems and processes where important Information was shared with ambulance / hospital to support people to receive consistent care and support.

People told us how staff supported them to attend heath appointments. A person said, “I go to Cambridge with staff to have my blood test and I will go to dentist in two weeks, maybe my tooth will need to come out, I know it will not hurt, done it before.” Another person said, “I go out with staff to have my eyes checked and my hearing, I went two weeks ago to get new glasses and I have new purple frame glasses; purple is my favourite colour.” Relatives were confident and complementary about how well staff met people’s health care needs. Relatives told us they found staff to be well skilled, experienced and competent in understanding people’s individual health conditions.

Staff confirmed they had sufficient guidance about people’s health conditions and guidance of how to meet these. Staff told us about the specific training they had received in how to provide delegated health care tasks for some people. Staff demonstrated good awareness of people’s health care needs. Staff confirmed how people were supported to attend health appointments and access health services and screening. A staff member said, “People are supported with appointments with the GP, dental, opticians, chiropody, they have annual health checks, support and access to services is good.” The registered manager confirmed how people’s health and well-being was monitored and how any changes / concerns were shared during staff hand overs, recorded in the communication book, daily records and during staff meetings.

The provider had systems and processes that assessed and monitored people’s health care and support needs. This included a monthly review of care plans and risk assessments or sooner if required. Supplementary records that recorded food / fluid input / output (where required) weights, repositioning and skin care were monitored daily, weekly, monthly. There was regular monitoring of clinical needs and additional staff training. The staff had regular contact with a variety of external health care professionals. Care records confirmed referrals to external healthcare professionals were made when required. Care records also confirmed people received support to access health services and screening. Where healthcare professionals had made recommendations care records confirmed staff had been provided with guidance. People were supported with physical activity as fully as possible such as regular walks, and some people participated in swimming.

Feedback from people and relatives confirmed they were well supported with their health, care and well-being needs. A relative said, “It’s a home with a wonderful feel when I visit, always good and positive interactions, not just with my relative but every resident, staff goes the extra mile to support each one of them equally, nobody is left out.” Another relative said, “In Hunters Lodge [name] has freedom and support, they are helped with things they need help with, but also are left to move around and encouraged to do and participate in activities. [Name] joins in now more than not and its improving. In their old place they were spending too much time on his own in his room.”

Staff confirmed the process of how people’s health care needs were monitored and gave examples of action taken when concerns were identified. Staff worked with healthcare professionals in monitoring health conditions such as staff monitoring people’s blood glucose levels of those people who were diabetic and shared this with the diabetic nurse. Staff confirmed how people were supported to achieve positive outcomes. For example, a staff member described interactions with one person who is interested in steam trains. This was explored and led to the individual being accompanied on a visit to the steam railway on an upcoming birthday last month. The person was given an option to go with group of friends or alone and they chose to go by themselves with a staff member. Another example was given how a person who has no verbal communication and likes the wind on their face, how staff support them on walks in the country, especially when it’s breezy.

The provider had systems and processes that continually assessed and monitored people’s individual health and well-being needs. A review of care records confirmed regular reviews were completed and actions taken when people’s individual needs had changed. The provider had communication systems to enable staff to effectively exchange information quickly and easily. This ensured people’s needs and outcomes were acted upon and monitored. The provider used evidence based clinical guidance to support people to achieve positive outcomes and was in the process of implementing an electronic care record system. People were supported to participate in activities important to them and independence was promoted as fully as possible. This included supporting people to access community day services and leisure and recreational activities.

People and relatives confirmed staff included them as fully as possible in discussions and decisions about their care and support. A person said, “I get on well with staff because they listen to me and are helpful and good at what they are doing. I am shy so I need help with others, but I have my best friend here and we like being together.” A relative said, “[Name] has settled in really well, they are well looked after, communication is good, and I'm involved and consulted in decisions about their care.” Another relative said, “My daughter has a social care advocate. Any issues, I openly speak with staff first and we work together.”

Staff demonstrated an understanding of the principles of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) and the importance of gaining consent before care was provided. Including the process of making best interest decisions, if a person lacked mental capacity to make a specific decision themselves. A staff member said, “MCA principles, we assume a person has capacity, if not a best interest meeting / decision has to be held.”

The provider had a MCA policy and procedure and staff had received MCA training. We saw an example of a signed care plan where a person had given their consent to the care and support, they received. Where people lacked mental capacity to consent to a specific aspect their care, records confirmed how the assessment had been completed. Best interest decisions had been made with the involvement of others and based on least restrictive options.