Appleby Lodge

On this page

• Overview
• Shared direction and culture
• Capable, compassionate and inclusive leaders
• Freedom to speak up
• Workforce equality, diversity and inclusion
• Governance, management and sustainability
• Partnerships and communities
• Learning, improvement and innovation

The service was well led and staff felt well supported and able to access guidance when needed. Team meetings had been held regularly and staff had received regular supervision. People were complimentary of the service’s culture and told us they would recommend the service to others. Quality assurance systems were effective, and the service leadership engaged positively with local health and social care partners and the inspection process. The provider had appropriately investigated and addressed individual complaints. However, records showed multiple examples of similar minor complaints being received. This demonstrated learning from complaints had not been used to drive improvements in overall performance.

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 staff team were well motivated and supported by their managers. They told us, “I have regular supervision, observations and spot checks” and “Management maintains high care standards through regular spot checks, observations, and staff supervision.”

Team meetings were held regularly to ensure all staff understood the service’s vision and values. Team building events had arranged regularly by the nominated individual to support the development of trusting relationships between staff and managers.

The services leadership was compassionate inclusive and responsive. The staff team were well supported and told us, “We have regular spot checks, observations and supervision by management. I have completed one year working with the company so they also did my appraisal as well” and “According to me everything is alright, the staff and management all are very supportive and helpful.” People were also complimentary of the service’s leadership and values, telling us, “It’s a very good company. I would most definitely recommend it” and “I’m delighted with them. They’ve changed my whole outlook on life.”

The provider’s leadership engaged positively with the staff team and there were effective on call arrangements in place to enable staff to access guidance and support when needed.

Staff knew how to raise concerns and feedback with their managers and were confident any issues raised would be addressed. Staff comments included, “I can get hold of the manager. I give her a shout and get the response I want” and “They do regular supervision and take the feedback of service users and staff too. If anybody has any type of issue or suggestion our management resolve that.”

The service had effective systems to ensure any concerns reported by staff or people using the service were investigated and resolved.

Staff were consistently treated with respect by their employer and where staff had experienced discrimination in the community their managers had provided reassurance and support. Staff comments included, “I have done equality and diversity training and I treat every client equally and fairly and I listen to them and respect them” and “The management is fantastic and easily available, they are very understanding.”

The service employed a diverse workforce, and all staff were treated fairly. Team building events had been held and managers were available by telephone to provide support and guidance when needed.

Staff were well supported and able to access support when required. Managers completed regular spot checks, audits and sought people’s feedback regularly to ensure their needs were met. Staff told us, “Our management is very helpful, supportive and hardworking and also we can easily get in touch with them”, “The management is supportive, and there's a strong focus on providing high-quality, person-centred care” and “The management is very good and easily available, they are very understanding”. People were also complimentary of the service’s management and told us, “I’m able to speak to the manager. She comes around and asks the same questions as you” and “Absolutely it is well managed, marvellous. Feedback is requested from time to time. They make sure I’m well looked after. I’d recommend it to anybody. I can ring the manager at any time. If she’s not available she always calls me back.”

The service did not have a registered manager. However, one of the provider’s directors was in the process of applying for this role. The service had appropriate quality assurance systems in place and office-based staff monitored visit time information in real time to ensure no visits were missed. Managers told us, “The screen is always on in front of us, office staff phone to check when visits are delayed. Last missed visit was 2 weeks ago because of a car breaking down, we phoned the family and [the person’s relative] was able to support.” Audits prior to the assessment had identified that issues with the service’s digital care planning and rostering system had impacted on the consistency of planned visit times. In response to these findings, the provider was introducing a new more robust system for planning and documenting care visits.

People were complementary of the staff team and the service’s management. They told us, “I’m delighted with them. They’ve changed my whole outlook on life”, “I’d recommend them to anybody” and “I think the service is well managed. No problems. The manager has visited a couple of times. She listens and is approachable.”

Staff and managers understood local systems for making referrals to health care professionals when necessary.

The service engaged positively with health care professionals to ensure people needs were met and enable people to continue living safely at home. The provider’s leadership engaged positively in the assessment process and promptly produced all information requested.

The providers were focused on improving the service’s performance; people’s feedback was valued and had been acted upon. For example, staff were being provided with additional training on meal preparation in response to feedback received.

The provider had appropriate systems in place to ensure all complaints were documented and investigated. However, complaints records included multiple examples of similar complaints from different individuals. The service had not effectively used information gathered during initial complaint investigations to improve the service’s overall performance.