CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Martham Lodge Residential Care Home
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors found clear risk assessments, emergency plans, regular safety checks and enough staff. Medicines, infection control, recruitment and incident reporting were all managed well.
- Effective?
- Good
- Staff were very well trained and training was tailored to individual needs. People received good support with nutrition, hydration, health appointments and decisions about their care.
- Caring?
- Good
- People were treated with compassion, dignity and respect. Staff supported people to make choices and to remain as independent as possible.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care plans were individualised and staff knew people's needs and preferences. The home supported activities, relationships, communication needs and end of life care.
- Well-led?
- Good
- The home was well managed, with regular audits, staff supervision and a positive working culture. People, relatives, staff and professionals were encouraged to give feedback.
What inspectors found, July 2019
Martham Lodge Residential Care Home rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with only two small medicines improvements noted.
This was an unannounced inspection on 1 July 2019. Inspectors spoke with people living in the home, relatives, staff and health professionals. They observed care and checked care plans, medicines records, recruitment files, training information and management records.
All five areas were rated Good: safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led. Inspectors found detailed risk assessments, enough staff, safe recruitment and very effective medicines management. Staff training was tailored to people's needs, and health, nutrition and hydration support were strong.
People were treated with kindness, dignity and respect. Care plans were personalised, people were supported to make choices, and staff helped people maintain relationships and avoid social isolation. The home was well managed, with regular audits and a supportive staff culture.
Personalised staff training
Training was adapted to people's physical, mental, social, cultural and religious needs. Inspectors said this helped staff provide highly individualised care.
“Staff training was excellent and tailored to individual needs and this promoted extremely personalised care.” from the report
Medicines management
Medicines records, storage, stock checks and staff competence checks were carefully managed. Inspectors found no errors in the medicines administration records they sampled.
“The Medicines Administration Records (MARs) we viewed were completed without any errors and the sample stock checks we undertook were all correct.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
People appeared happy and relaxed. Staff supported people's dignity, privacy, choices and independence.
“The staff show endless compassion and treat residents respectfully.” from the report
Individual care planning
Care plans reflected people's preferences and needs. Staff could explain how they supported each person, and relatives and advocates were included where possible.
“All the staff go out of their way to treat each resident as an individual.” from the report
Two medicines improvements
minorA medicines audit found two small areas for improvement. The report does not identify them or say that they caused harm, and the overall medicines arrangements were still rated Good.
“A recent detailed audit by the Medicines Management Optimisation Team from the local Clinical Commissioning Group identified only two small areas for improvement.” from the report
- 01What were the two small areas for improvement identified in the medicines audit, and what action was taken?
- 02How are people's individual training needs identified and kept up to date?
- 03How are relatives and residents involved in updating care plans and health discussions?
- 04How does the home make sure staffing levels remain sufficient when staff are absent or on leave?
- 05What has changed since the July 2019 inspection, and what are the latest quality checks showing?
This was an unannounced comprehensive inspection covering the premises, the care provided and all five CQC key questions; all five ratings remained Good. This explanation was written from the published report of 30 July 2019 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.
What inspectors found, October 2016
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with all five areas rated Good.
This was an unannounced inspection on 12 and 16 August 2016. One inspector spoke with people living in the home, visitors, staff, the manager and health professionals. They also observed care and checked care, medicine, staffing and management records.
The home was rated Good overall, and Good in all five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Inspectors found enough trained staff, safe medicine arrangements, suitable risk assessments and appropriate recruitment checks.
People were treated with respect and supported to make choices about their care, daily routines and activities. Inspectors also found good food and drink support, access to healthcare, personalised care plans and systems for listening to complaints and monitoring quality.
Safe staffing and medicines
Inspectors found enough staff on duty and consistent staffing levels. Medicine storage, administration and records were checked and found to be safe.
“Medicines were managed and administered safely in the home and people received their medicines as prescribed.” from the report
Personalised care
Care records included people's routines, preferences, pastimes and what made a good or bad day for them. Inspectors saw that staff used this information in practice.
“The contents of people's care plans were personalised and gave a full description of need, relevant for each person.” from the report
Respectful relationships
Staff gave people attention, listened to them and supported their dignity and independence. Visitors were welcomed without restrictions.
“We saw that staff interacted well with people in a warm and friendly manner and observed mutual joviality and light hearted conversations throughout our inspection.” from the report
Activities and choice
People could choose how and where to spend their time. Inspectors saw activities including painting, knitting, reading, music, singing, puzzles and games in the garden.
“People also had access to the local community.” from the report
Good communication and oversight
The manager and staff communicated frequently. Care plans, risks, medicines, accidents and incidents were regularly audited.
“There were a number of systems in place in order to ensure the quality of the service provided was regularly monitored.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How do you assess each person's dependency and adjust staffing levels when their needs change?
- 02How will my relative and our family be involved in creating and reviewing their personalised care plan?
- 03How will you support my relative's food, drink and dietary needs, including monitoring intake if needed?
- 04How do you record and review medicines, including medicines given only when needed or in a person's best interests?
- 05What activities and local community opportunities would be suitable for my relative's interests and abilities?
This was an unannounced inspection covering the overall service and all five CQC questions: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. This explanation was written from the published report of 26 October 2016 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 Martham Lodge Residential Care Home
2 rated inspections over 3 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- July 2019Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
Read what inspectors found at Martham Lodge Residential Care Home →
- October 2016GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
Read what inspectors found at Martham Lodge Residential Care Home →
- January 2015
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 1 January 2015.
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
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.