Appleby 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

People’s needs were assessed and identified before their first care visit to ensure their preferences could be met. Staff had the skills necessary to meet people’s needs and care plans provided them with accurate guidance. The service worked collaboratively with health care professionals to support people to remain living at home. People were complimentary of the service and the manager met people regularly to gather their feedback. Staff respected people’s choices in relation to how support should be provided.

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 their relatives were appropriately involved in the assessment and identification of people’s specific support needs. People told us, “I do have a care plan. I’ve been involved from the start.”

Staff were confident people’s needs had been effectively assessed and that people’s care plans were sufficiently detailed and informative. Staff told us, “All service users have up-to-date care plans” and “They provide us with service user's care plans and risk assessments and give us proper information about them.”

People’s care plans were developed from information shared by care commissioners. The deputy manager met with people and their relatives to ensure their needs were fully understood as part of the care planning process.

People received the care they needed and were confident staff understood those needs. People’s comments included, “Their training is pretty good”, “They are wonderful carers” and “They know my needs. They make sure you’re alright.”

Staff understood people’s specific care needs and were able to access people’s care plans via paper files in each person’s home or via the provider’s care planning application. Staff were confident this information was accurate and told us, “Everyone has a care plan and the risk assessments for service users are up dated” and “[Manager's] provide us with care plans and risk assessments and give us proper information about service users.”

People’s care plans were accurate and up to date. They provided staff with enough detailed guidance to enable them to meet people’s identified needs. A digital care planning application was used by staff to record details of the support provided during each visit.

People told us staff worked well together to ensure their needs were met and preferences respected. Comments received included, “Two staff come to see [My relative]. One 5 days a week, the other for 2 days” and “I see different carers. I shower twice a week. 2 female carers. Sometimes a male. Men don’t come into the shower. I like and get female carers for the shower. They do everything.”

Managers ensured information was shared effectively between staff teams and with health professionals when required.

The provider had systems in place to ensure all staff were able to access details of the care and support each person had recently received.

People were supported and empowered to manage their own health care needs wherever possible. Their comments included, “I do my own medication”, “I call the doctor myself” and “I phone the surgery if needed. The doctor makes house calls.”

Staff worked effectively with involved health care professionals and made prompt referrals when required. One staff member told us, “If someone appeared unwell I would check they have taken their meds but like a client this morning I noticed they had a sore and I had to tell my manager and they contacted the district nurse and they will come in.”

The service had systems in place to support people to access health care services when necessary. Where professionals had provided guidance on people’s specific need this information was included in their care plan.

People and their relatives were complimentary of the care and support they received. Their comments included, “The [deputy manager] is very efficient. Staff know what they’re doing” and “I don’t know what I’d do without them. They are very good.”

Staff told us the service was well organised and that they were well supported by their management. They told us, “[The director] is always there if we need him, any challenge and you ring him. He always picks up” and “I am very happy to work with Appleby Lodge management. They are very hard working and kind.”

The provider had effective systems and processes in place to monitor performance and drive improvements. Feedback was gathered regularly from people and their relatives. Managers used the service’s call monitoring system to ensure all planned visit were provided.

People told us their support staff sought their consent before providing support. One person told us, “The staff get my permission before starting care. They say to me, ‘Do you want to stand, want a shave etc.”

Staff and managers understood the importance of seeking people’s consent before providing care.

The service had systems in place to ensure staff sought people’s consent before providing support.