National inspectors praise local care home

Home news

Dec 24, 2020

A national care watchdog has given a care home in Whitstable its seal of approval, with relatives and residents praising the team members.

The Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) report gave Care UK’s Harrier Lodge care home, on Thanet Way, an overall ‘Good’ rating.

The report demonstrates the home’s improvements in key areas, including being well led, which has been rated ‘Good’.

The inspectors noted that the team are quick to respond to the requests of residents and understood their needs and wishes. A relative of one of the residents said: “The home is well organised without being regimented. The residents come first.”

Inspectors commended the home manager, Diane Collins, who they said: ‘promoted a positive culture that is person-centred, open, inclusive and empowering’. Diane also received praise from a relative of a resident: “The service is well-run, the manager always seems to be around and is easy to talk to.”

The report highlighted that there were robust systems in place to assess and respond to risks regarding infection prevention and control, including those associated with Covid-19. The inspectors noted that the home team was adhering to shielding and social distancing guidelines, promoting safety through the layout and hygiene practices of the care home and that PPE was being used effectively and consistently.

Diane Collins, Home Manager at Harrier Lodge, said: “Everyone works incredibly hard to ensure we offer high quality care and excellent facilities to all residents, and the whole team are really proud of this achievement.

“Receiving an ‘Good’ rating overall is testament to the wonderful team we have here at Harrier Lodge. Our ethos is to help residents to continue living active and fulfilling lives, and that is what we aim to do each and every day. Over the last year this has been more important than ever as we adapt to a new way of life, while ensuring residents lives remain as normal as possible.

“We are all thrilled to have received praise from the national inspectors.”

To assess service standards at Harrier Lodge, the CQC’s inspector spoke with team members, residents, and their relatives via phone and email prior to inspection. They also reviewed the records and procedures already in place at the care home.

Not only has Harrier Lodge received a ‘Good’ rating from the CQC, the home also scores of 9.9 out of 10 on the UK’s leading care home review website.

Harrier Lodge is a purpose-built care home which has been designed to enable residents to live active and fulfilled lives, while also promoting independence. The home provides full-time residential, nursing and specialist dementia care for up to 65 older people in Whitstable, and incorporates space for hobby and leisure activities, including its own cinema, hairdressing salon and café.

For more information about Harrier Lodge, please call Customer Relations Manager, Theresa Mead, on 0203 918 2873, or email theresa.mead@careuk.com 

For more general information on Harrier Lodge, please visit careuk.com/harrier-lodge