Clacton home gets seal of approval from care watchdog

Home news

Mar 14, 2014

Inspectors from a national care watchdog have given their seal of approval to Care UK’s Haven Lodge care home in Clacton-on-Sea, hearing from residents and relatives just how much they appreciate the high standards of care offered there.

Haven Lodge, on Reckitts Close, Holland Road, is home to up to 50 older people, some of whom live with dementia or physical disabilities.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspectors examined the home and its records on January 9 and interviewed team members, before announcing that the home meets the Government’s five national standards of quality and safety which are:

• Treating people with respect and involving them in their care;
• Providing care, treatment & support that meets people's needs;
• Caring for people safely & protecting them from harm;
• Staffing and
• Management.

The inspectors heard first-hand how impressed relatives and residents were by the care given at Haven Lodge – one relative, talking about a resident, said they would fully recommend the home to anyone because their relative is looked after and they would not want them to live anywhere else.” Residents also told them “I am happy, it is lovely”, “I am looked after very well” and “I have no complaints, it is very nice.”

As well as observing the home’s team at work and talking to people involved at all levels, the inspectors checked records and systems covering staffing, premises safety, equipment maintenance, complaints and record-keeping.

They took the opportunity to ensure that residents and relatives felt fully involved in the care offered and were consulted about it. One relative said they were consulted about the care that their relative was provided with and that they were kept updated about their relative’s wellbeing.  The inspectors observed staff acting on people’s choices, such as where they wanted to be in the home, and their choices of food and drink.

Residents were also happy with the wide range of food on offer, and the inspectors were impressed with the fact that the catering was tailored so closely to the residents’ needs. They said: “We saw one person tell the registered manager that they were hungry, this was between breakfast and lunch. They said that they had toast for breakfast but now wanted bacon and eggs. We saw that this was provided. We saw that there was a stock of snacks in each dining room that people could have if they were hungry. This told us that people did not have to wait for meal times to eat and they could eat to suit them and not the service.”

Inspectors also saw the team help those who needed assistance at mealtimes, “at the person's own pace and in an unrushed manner…The staff used napkins to assist people to wipe their mouths when they were eating, this meant that their dignity was respected.”

Manager Dave Connelly said: “I am really delighted that all the team’s hard work and dedication has resulted in the CQC acknowledging that we meet all the Government’s standards. We are always striving to give residents the best possible care, and to tailor it to their individual needs – it is marvellous to have that recognised.”

As well as ensuring that residents were happy and well looked after, the home also received praise for its cleanliness – visitors and residents alike commented on how clean it was. One person's visitor said, “It always looks clean, I have never known any bad smells” and one resident said: “They (staff) come in to clean my bedroom every day.”