20 August 2021
During a routine inspection
Victoria Lodge is a residential care home providing care and support to people living with a range of conditions caused by acquired brain injury. At the time of inspection, three people were living at the service, the service can support up to six people. Accommodation is provided over two floors, all bedrooms have en-suite facilities and one self-contained apartment was equipped with a kitchenette. Communal areas comprised a large lounge, kitchen/diner, activity room and gardens.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People told us they felt safe at the service. We observed people were relaxed and spoke openly with staff and the registered manager. One person told us, “I can speak to [registered manager] anytime I need to.”
People were supported to live independent lives, and staff empowered people to take positive risks, such as going into town. People were protected from the risk of abuse by trained staff who understood their responsibilities to recognise and report any concerns. Staff were recruited safely and received relevant training to their role. One relative told us, “It’s all down to the staff and they are excellent.”
People's needs were assessed when they entered the service and frequently reviewed. Staff encouraged people to follow a healthy diet that catered to their tastes, and people were enabled to prepare their own meals. One professional told us, “The environment has allowed our patient to experience and enjoy a greater level of independence; they probably wouldn’t have got it elsewhere.”
People were supported by caring staff, and we saw people and staff interacting positively during the inspection. People were happy with talk to us and tell us about the service and the support they received. One person told us, “It's brilliant, I love it here. It's like a normal family home.”
People were supported to be independent, and to maintain relationships with friends and family. One person told us, “I go to the pub and park, as much or as little as I prefer. It's really nice here, it's perfection.” One relative told us, “I could not be happier with Victoria Lodge, thank goodness they are where they are.”
People and their relatives were encouraged to feedback on the service. One relative told us, “I have absolutely no complaints; it’s like a palace they are very patient. It’s like a proper house rather than a care home.”
The service was led by a committed registered manager and their team who were proud to work at the service. People were actively involved in the running of the service and felt their voices were heard. People were able to access healthcare when they needed it. The registered manager told us, “Considering how hard it is to start a service, it's gone smoothly. We've done all the things we wanted to do. We’ve kept people safe and they have a decent quality of life, we should be proud of this.”
People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
This service was registered with us on 30/04/2019 and this is the first inspection.
Why we inspected
This is the first inspection for this newly registered service.
We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the Safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.