Elpha Lodge Residential 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 as individuals and cared for by very kind and considerate staff who supported their independence and choice. People’s emerging needs were addressed without delay. Staff welfare was promoted and they received regular one to one support.

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 complimentary about the staff team. They described staff as “kind”, “wonderful” and “lovely”. People said they had good relationships with staff and felt they were treated with respect and dignity. Staff treated people with kindness, compassion and dignity. One relative said, “They have some very, very good new and younger people [staff] with a great attitude. They are doing a smashing job.”

Staff said the home’s emphasis was on providing a good place for people to live. They commented on the “caring culture” throughout the organisation including the director, management and staff team.

Feedback received from healthcare professionals did not indicate any concerns with the kindness and caring manner of staff. One healthcare professional said, “Staff that I have come upon are pleasant and helpful”, and “In my opinion, residents I have come upon there consider it to be their home and would not want to leave, which I believe indicates a very good level of care provided.”

We observed a culture of kindness. Staff interactions were very good and we observed a good rapport between people and the staff team, including management.

People were treated as individuals. People had a wide range of individual, specific preferences and said these were respected by staff. People said they had individualised their own bedrooms to suit their own tastes and were pleased with them.

Staff said the number of staff to resident meant they became very familiar with people and their individual preferences.

Observations confirmed people were treated individually. Staff appeared to know people very well and a good rapport was seen with plenty conversations taking place which were tailored to individuals.

Processes were in place for the provider to monitor people's person-centred care. This included monitoring checks on person centred care plans, walk arounds of the building and observations of staff; including competency checks.

People were supported to be as independent as possible and to have choice and control within their lives. People felt in control of their individual daily lifestyles and said these were respected by staff. Their comments included, “I do my own thing” and “I choose what I do and when.” Some people were working towards independent living skills with a view to moving to their own accommodation and this was fully supported by staff.

Staff promoted people’s independence, so they knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care and wellbeing. One staff member commented, “Everyone makes their own choices. Some people choose to go to bed earlier, usually to be more comfortable if they have been sitting all day, other people like to go to bed later because they watch late night TV.”

Observations confirmed people were supported to maintain their independence. This included supporting people to feed themselves at lunch time and also mobilise with support from staff where needed.

Care plans recorded details of how staff should support people to maintain their independence, including with regard to eating, mobility, or washing and dressing. Care plans were reviewed when any changes occurred to people's needs.

People received care and support which was responsive to their individual needs. People said they felt listened to and their views were acted on. One person commented, “If I ask [management] to change things, it gets done.”

Staff said the good ratio of resident to staff meant they were familiar with each person’s well-being and were able to spot any subtle change in need, which they reported to the senior staff for action. The management team listened to and responded to people’s views and acted on them in a timely way.

During observations it was clear staff knew how to deal with any changing care or wellbeing needs. For example, staff supported someone who was feeling upset. The person was soon smiling again after intervention.

The registered manager and provider valued each staff member. Staff commented positively on the way their rotas were arranged and flexible working patterns to ensure their well-being, as well provide a good level of support for people. Staff said they had regular supervision session which included a space for them to discuss their well-being and any support they needed. Staff said the director and management team were “approachable” and “supportive.”

Staff had the skills to carry out their role and were supported to further develop. There was a training programme in place and additional training was provided when needed. The training matrix had been recently updated to ensure staff development could be fully monitored. Policies and procedures were in place to support staff, including procedures for supporting mental health at work.