West Lodge Care Home

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

Responsive – this means we looked for evidence that the provider met people’s needs. At our last assessment we rated this key question requires improvement. At this assessment the rating has changed to good. This meant people’s needs were met through good organisation and delivery.

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 made sure people were at the centre of their care and treatment choices and they decided, in partnership with people, how to respond to any relevant changes in people’s needs. Staff, people and relatives were provided with opportunities to discuss the care and support at West Lodge Care Home. We observed staff people were supported in a person-centred way. For example, one person always wanted to have their own newspaper to keep up with the news and the maintenance staff member ensured they got one for the person on their way to work. Staff were provided with person-centred clear plans on how people wanted to be supported.

The provider understood the diverse health and care needs of people and their local communities so care was joined-up, flexible and supported choice and continuity. We found systems and processes were in place to ensure external health and social care professionals were involved in people’s care where required. The provider worked closely with a registered charity so people could obtain expert information and advice on a wide range of topics. The home also worked with the dementia outreach team to ensure they were responsive to people’s dementia care and support needs. Care plans included advice and guidance from professionals for staff to follow.

The provider supplied appropriate, accurate and up-to-date information in formats that were tailored to individual needs. We found food menus and the activities planner were in photo format to aid people’s individual needs. A person’s speech had been impacted from a stroke and we observed staff using objects of reference to support communication and understanding.

The provider made it easy for people to share feedback and ideas or raise complaints about their care, treatment and support. Staff involved people in decisions about their care and told them what had changed as a result. The provider ensured they were visible in the service most days and spoke with people to obtain people’s feedback on their care and support. The new manager was visible and approachable to allow people, staff and relatives to raise any concerns. A staff member told us, “The manager is approachable and I feel confident to raise any concerns.” A person told us, “The matron is here a lot and she asks me whether I have any complaints.”

The provider made sure that people could access the care, support and treatment they needed when they needed it. The manager told us they had built better and stronger relationships with health professionals since they started. The provider had worked with the local authority to make the necessary changes. The manager was aware which health professionals they needed to contact and when to support people when a concern or risk was identified.

Staff and leaders actively listened to information about people who were most likely to experience inequality in experience or outcomes and tailored their care, support and treatment in response to this. Care plans were person-centred, and the management team tailored the care and support to people’s individual needs. People were supported to access care, treatment and support when they needed to and in a way that worked for them. The management team and staff ensured there were no barriers or delays in accessing care.

People were supported to plan for important life changes so they could have enough time to make informed decisions about their future, including at the end of their life. People were provided with an opportunity to have an end of life personalised care plan to include their wishes. Staff had completed end of life training. The manager told us they sadly had someone on end of life care and they provided one to one carer support because they wanted them to not be alone.