Poppy Lodge Care Home

On this page

• Overview
• Learning culture
• Safe systems, pathways and transitions
• Safeguarding
• Involving people to manage risks
• Safe environments
• Safe and effective staffing
• Infection prevention and control
• Medicines optimisation

People were protected from the risk of abuse. Care and treatment was planned and delivered to ensure people’s safety and welfare. Risks were assessed and measures put in place to mitigate the risks of harm to people. Staff had been supported to complete training and develop the skills they needed to support people safely. There were enough staff to meet people’s needs. Staff were employed following the appropriate recruitment checks.

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.

We did not look at Learning culture during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Safe.

We did not look at Safe systems, pathways and transitions during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Safe.

People were protected from the risk of abuse and said they felt safe living at the service. One person said, “Staff are kind, I feel safe here, there is always someone around.” Another person said, “Staff are protective they are observant and interested in me.”

Staff had received training in how to safeguard people and knew how to raise any concerns with management or external agencies. The registered manager had raised safeguarding concerns appropriately and had worked with the local authority to investigate these to ensure people were being safeguarded.

We observed staff interacting with people in a kind and respectful manner, asking people how they wished to be supported and giving choices over their care and support.

The registered manager told us they had safeguarding policies and procedures in place and had a procedure for ‘whistle blowing’. Staff received information on safeguarding in their staff induction booklets and discussed safeguarding in staff meetings or supervision. The Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) provides a legal framework for making particular decisions on behalf of people who may lack the mental capacity to do so for themselves. The MCA requires that, as far as possible, people make their own decisions and are helped to do so when needed. When they lack mental capacity to take particular decisions, any made on their behalf must be in their best interests and as least restrictive as possible. People can only be deprived of their liberty to receive care and treatment when this is in their best interests and legally authorised under the MCA. In care homes, and some hospitals, this is usually through MCA application procedures called the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). DoLS application had been made and legal authorisations were in place where required. Staff understood the need to gain consent from people for care and to encourage people to make decisions for themselves. Where people were unable to do this best interest decisions were in place. Where family members held lasting power of attorney for health, welfare and finance copies of these were obtained to show their legal authorisation to be involved in people’s care.

People were involved in planning their care and managing risks. Care plans and risk assessments were person centred and aim to provide positive outcomes for people whilst maintaining their choice and independence. Staff had discussions with people on risks and involved them in making decisions. One person was involved in choosing a diet that suited their health needs, that they could also enjoy eating. Another person was supported to manage their smoking safely. Where one person wanted to go and vote for themselves in person staff safely facilitated them attending a polling station.

Staff had received the appropriate training to support people safely. Staff we spoke with knew people well and how they wished to be supported whilst promoting their independence.

Staff knew people well and actively supported them to manage risks whilst supporting their independence and choice.

Risk assessments and care plans helped to mitigate the risks to people by providing guidance to staff on how to support people safely. The service had equipment needed to support people’s care needs such as hoists or specialist beds. There were detailed personal evacuation plans to safely evacuate the building in an emergency.

We did not look at Safe environments during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Safe.

People and relatives were very complimentary of the staff and the support they received. One person said, “I am well looked after, the staff pop in or I use my buzzer and they come within a couple of minutes.” Another person said, “The staff know what they are doing. I only have female staff and that is my choice. The male staff know that is my preference.”

Staff told us they felt supported by the management and were provided with the correct training to give them the skills they needed to work with people. One member of staff said, “I had a good induction and worked shadow shifts to get to know people before I completely joined. The other staff have been very helpful to me. We do a lot of training I have done all the mandatory training.” Another member of staff said, “I have completed 52 training courses since I have been here, including dementia awareness, first aid, safeguarding and how to monitor blood glucose levels for people with diabetes.”

We observed staff were attentive to people’s needs and demonstrated they knew people well and how they wished to be supported.

The registered manager told us they were fully recruited and had a consistent staff team working at the service with good staff retention. Appropriate checks were in place before staff started work including providing full work histories, references and a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. DBS provide information including details about convictions and cautions held on the Police National Computer. The information helps employers make safer recruitment decisions. Staff had received training to enable them to have the skills and knowledge they needed to support people. Staff had supervision to discuss their training and support needs and there were regular staff meetings.

We did not look at Infection prevention and control during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Safe.

We did not look at Medicines optimisation during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Safe.