CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at HoneySuckle Lodge
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- People were protected from avoidable harm. Inspectors found good risk management, safe recruitment, enough staff, accurate medicines records and suitable infection control arrangements.
- Effective?
- Good
- People achieved good outcomes and staff supported their health, communication and daily living skills. Mental capacity assessments and best-interest decisions had not always been recorded clearly.
- Caring?
- Outstanding
- Staff treated people with exceptional kindness and supported them to have the same opportunities as others. Inspectors found particularly strong support for communication, dignity, independence and quality of life.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care was personalised and people were supported to plan their days, activities and meals. Some relatives wanted more formal involvement, and some found the respite communication books did not always provide enough information.
- Well-led?
- Good
- The management team was open, supportive and committed to improvement. Governance systems needed further strengthening, including action plans, provider audits, mental capacity records and water safety checks.
What inspectors found, September 2022
HoneySuckle Lodge was rated Good overall, with Outstanding care, although records and quality checks needed strengthening.
This was the first inspection since the home registered. Inspectors visited on 30 June and 14 July 2022. One inspector spoke with two people, eight relatives, nine staff and health and social care professionals. They also reviewed care, medicines, recruitment and management records.
Inspectors found that people were safe, received effective support and had their individual needs met. Staff managed risks, medicines and infection control well. People were supported to communicate, make choices, develop independence, maintain relationships and take part in activities.
Care was rated Outstanding because staff showed exceptional kindness and helped people achieve things that had not previously been possible. The home was rated Good in Safe, Effective, Responsive and Well-led. Inspectors recommended stronger governance, including better monitoring of mental capacity decisions and water safety.
Exceptional kindness
Staff were highly compassionate and often went beyond what was expected to support people and their relatives.
“People were treated with exceptional kindness and care.” from the report
Communication support
The home used communication systems, pictures, signs and social stories to help people express wishes, feelings and choices.
“The support provided to people to help them communicate their wishes and feelings was exceptional.” from the report
Building independence
People were supported to learn daily living skills, make choices and use adapted spaces so they could do more for themselves.
“Promoting dignity and independence was central to the service.” from the report
Managing distress
Staff knew people well, recognised signs of distress and used support that helped reduce distressed behaviour.
“Staff were extremely skilled at supporting people with distress.” from the report
Safe staffing and medicines
Inspectors found enough staff, safe recruitment for staff recruited in 2022 and accurate medicines records.
“Medicine records were completed accurately with no omissions.” from the report
Mental capacity records
needs fixingMental capacity assessments and best-interest decisions were not always written down. This made it unclear how some decisions had been reached, although inspectors found no negative impact on people.
“Mental capacity assessments and subsequent best interest decisions had not been documented.” from the report
- 01What has changed since the inspection to ensure mental capacity assessments and best-interest decisions are recorded for every relevant decision?
- 02How do you now monitor water safety and make sure any actions are completed and checked?
- 03What is included in the service improvement plan, and how will families be told about progress?
- 04How will relatives be given more structured opportunities to help plan and review care?
- 05What information will be recorded in respite communication books and shared with families?
This was the first comprehensive inspection following registration and covered all five CQC questions, including infection prevention and control arrangements. This explanation was written from the published report of 16 September 2022 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 HoneySuckle Lodge
Each visit the CQC has published, newest first, back to the day the home was registered.
- September 2022Goodcurrent ratingSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: OutstandingResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- June 2021
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 18 June 2021.
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.
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13 live-in carers within about an hour of Norfolk
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 £990 to £1,120 a week. 9 can care for a couple. 14 years' experience on average.
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.