Middleton Lodge

On this page

• Overview
• Person-centred Care
• Care provision, Integration and continuity
• Providing Information
• Listening to and involving people
• Equity in access
• Equity in experiences and outcomes
• Planning for the future

At our last inspection this key question was rated requires improvement. At this assessment it is now rated good. The staff and management team had improved people's social isolation and positive action had been taken to integrate people with the local community. People’s health care needs were well understood and staff worked well with other professionals to make sure people received appropriate and timely health 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.

People and relatives found care and support was personalised and responsive to their individual needs. One relative said, "They moved my relative into a bedroom which we are very impressed with. They considered all the things he likes. Overall, have never seen the place looking so good in 15 years. I would live there."

Staff had attended training in working in a person-centred way and were aware of people’s needs. Information was available in records to ensure people received person-centred care. An advocate was involved in most people’s care and support and staff had spoken with people about the role advocates play in speaking up for people.

We saw staff following people's support plan and ensuring they were given person centred support. Staff enabled people to make choices and their communication with people was respectful all the time.

We saw people had information in a variety of formats to suit their individual needs. For example, there were photographs of meals to enable people to make choices.

The registered manager and staff understood the diverse health and care needs of people. The care provided was flexible and staff worked well with other professionals to ensure continuity.

Feedback from partners was positive. Professionals thought staff worked well with them. One professional told us, "Middleton have proactively booked training with me and a person they support also participated which was lovely."

Information was available to share between services, as needed, which covered people’s care and support needs. Staff had ensured support plans contained pertinent detail about people’s needs and preferences to enable staff to provide appropriate care and support.

We saw people had information in a variety of formats to suit their individual needs. For example, there were photographs of meals to enable people to make choices.

Staff were aware they could provide information in different ways and tailor these to suit people’s needs.

Since 2016 onwards all organisations that provide publicly funded adult social care are legally required to follow the Accessible Information Standard (AIS). The standard was introduced to make sure people are given information in a way they can understand. The standard applies to all people with a disability, impairment or sensory loss and in some circumstances to their carers. The provider understood the AIS requirements and had made sure appropriate communication tools, such as large print documents were, in place to meet people’s needs.

People shared their positive experience of the service. They found the registered manager was approachable, listened to their views and acted upon them. We saw people had open access to the management team and enjoyed positive relationships with them. Relatives we spoke with said, If I made complaint, I feel the manager would respond”, and !It's a well-run service and complaints are always acknowledged. There are enough staff and I feel the service is good.”

Staff told us the management team were, "special, and always listening. Christine [registered manager] will always do something about it. Staff made sure people always had the opportunity to share their views about thier support. The registered manager used all feedback to assist them improve the quality of care. No complaints had been received but they monitored and responded to even minor concerns.

The registered manager had an effective system in place to monitor the quality of the service. They readily identified where gaps existed and acted swiftly to address them. They ensured people were regularly consulted about the support they received.

People were supported with attending appointments to other healthcare professionals. People and their families said staff supported them well. We saw how the service actively encouraged people to be a part of the local community. People visited the local pub during our visit and one staff we spoke with said, "[Name] has made friends there, it's great for him. One relative we spoke with told us about the new minibus and said, "They go out more and they have a bus, so he gets to visit me. They understand his needs, likes and dislikes. They offer him choices."

A proactive approach from staff and management was evident in relation to ensuring people accessed appropriate care, support and treatment at times when they needed it.

Health and social care professionals told us staff understood how to meet people’s diverse needs and ensure care provided was joined up.

The provider had in place positive processes to help reduce inequalities in care, particularly the hospital passport, which set out a range of people's needs, from clinical baseline information to their communication needs. The registered manager made sure records contained pertinent information about people’s needs and preferences, which supported staff to provide appropriate care and support.

People told us about goals they wanted to achieve and that they talked with the keyworker about the support they needed to do this.

Staff completed equality and diversity training and observations confirmed staff respected people. The registered manager actively listened to people who were most at risk of experiencing inequality. The staff team was from a diverse background and were very tuned in to ensure equality and challenging discrimination.

Policies and procedures were in place in relation to equity, equality and diversity. Feedback and observations supported the fact that staff had implemented learning and a culture had been created of personalised care and support.

Whilst we did not discuss this with people, we did discuss with the registered manager who told us they were working with people, advocates and families to ensure peoples wishes were recorded.

The registered manager promoted a positive, person-centred culture. The registered manager and staff put people’s needs and wishes at the heart of everything they did.

The provider had ensured policies and procedures were in place around providing care for people reaching the end of their life.