CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Appleton Lodge
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- People were protected by trained staff, suitable risk assessments, safe medicines arrangements and sufficient staffing. The home was clean and safety checks were carried out.
- Effective?
- Good
- Staff received training, supervision and support. People had suitable food choices, help with nutritional needs, access to healthcare and support that followed mental capacity requirements.
- Caring?
- Good
- People and relatives described staff as kind and compassionate. Inspectors saw staff treating people with dignity, respect and attention to their privacy and communication needs.
- Responsive?
- Outstanding
- Care was highly personalised and based on people's histories, preferences and wishes. The home provided meaningful activities, community involvement and particularly strong support with end-of-life planning.
- Well-led?
- Good
- The home had a registered manager, clear responsibilities and quality checks. People, relatives and staff described the management as accessible, supportive and open to feedback.
What inspectors found, November 2018
Appleton Lodge was rated Good overall; inspectors found safe, kind care and Outstanding support tailored to people's lives, interests and end-of-life wishes.
Inspectors visited without warning on 5 September 2018. They spoke with people, relatives, staff and a healthcare professional. They observed care and checked records, medicines, staffing, complaints, accidents, the building and quality checks.
The home was rated Good for Safe, Effective, Caring and Well-led. Inspectors found trained staff, enough staff on duty, safe medicines systems, suitable care plans, good support with food and healthcare, and respectful care.
Responsive care was rated Outstanding, improving from Good at the previous comprehensive inspection in 2015. Inspectors found highly personalised activities, strong links with the local community, and exceptional support for people and families to plan end-of-life care.
Personalised care
Care plans included detailed information about people's histories, preferences, routines and interests. Staff encouraged people to help shape their own care.
“Care plans and risk assessments for each person were highly detailed and person centred.” from the report
Meaningful activities
Activities were based on individual interests and included outings, special events, school links and opportunities to stay connected with family and the local community.
“The service used innovative activities to enhance people's lives.” from the report
End-of-life support
Inspectors found that staff helped people and families explore and record wishes for end-of-life care, including spiritual, emotional and personal preferences.
“The service was skilled in helping people and those important to them explore and record their wishes about care at the end of their life.” from the report
Kind and respectful staff
People and relatives praised the staff's kindness. Inspectors saw staff protecting privacy, speaking respectfully and supporting people's independence.
“We observed staff speaking to people kindly and with respect.” from the report
Safe staffing
Inspectors found enough staff on duty and effective recruitment checks. People said they did not have to wait long for help.
“There were sufficient staff rostered to provide people's care safely.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How will you learn and record my relative's life history, routines, preferences and communication needs?
- 02What activities and outings could my relative take part in, including one-to-one activities if they prefer not to join groups?
- 03How would you involve my relative and our family in discussing and recording end-of-life wishes?
- 04How do you make sure there are enough staff on duty when my relative needs help?
- 05How are medicines checked, stored and given safely, and how would you tell us about any changes?
This was an unannounced inspection covering all five CQC questions, including care, staffing, medicines, records, the premises, complaints and quality systems. This explanation was written from the published report of 29 November 2018 by an AI system and checked against the report text: every quoted line appears in the report. It is a guide to the report, not a substitute for it. Read the full report on cqc.org.uk.
Every inspection of Appleton Lodge
2 rated inspections over 3 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- November 2018Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: OutstandingWell-led: Good
- January 2016GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- September 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- June 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- August 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- October 2011
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 31 October 2011.
Ratings and report dates from the Care Quality Commission, Open Government Licence v3.0. A home can also be visited without a new rating being published, so the timeline shows published inspections.
Weigh the report against the rest
Fees, photos and reviews from families
How to read CQC ratings and reports
What to check when you visit
At least 100 live-in carers within about an hour of Stockport
These are self-employed carers on PrimeCarers, the introductory agency that runs this directory. Each has a profile with their own rates and reviews from families, and you choose who to talk to.
Most charge £980 to £1,260 a week. 88 can care for a couple. 10 years' experience on average.
“Primrose is a very kind and compassionate healthcare professional”
“She is an exemplary carer, she is knowledgable empathetic and very respectful in the home.”
Every carer has had an enhanced DBS check in the last 18 months, ID and right-to-work checks and an online interview. Their skills and training are for you to check with them. Carers set their own rates, and who is free changes week to week.