CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Saxon Lodge
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors found people were protected from avoidable harm. There were enough staff, medicines were managed safely, risks were reviewed and safeguarding concerns were dealt with appropriately.
- Effective?
- Good
- The report does not give a current rating for Effective.
- Caring?
- Good
- The report does not give a current rating for Caring. Inspectors nevertheless described compassionate, respectful and person-centred support.
- Responsive?
- Good
- The report does not give a current rating for Responsive. Inspectors found that staff understood people's communication needs, wishes and preferences.
- Well-led?
- Good
- Inspectors found the home was consistently managed and well-led. Leaders promoted person-centred care, listened to feedback and used governance systems to monitor quality and safety.
What inspectors found, June 2023
Saxon Lodge is Rated Good; inspectors found safe, caring support with strong choice, communication and leadership.
The inspection was unannounced. Visits took place on 5 and 7 June 2023, with inspection activity ending on 12 June. One inspector and an Expert by Experience spoke with relatives, an advocate and staff, observed care, and checked care records, recruitment records and service documents.
Inspectors rated the home Good overall. They rated Safe and Well-led Good. They found enough trained staff, safe medicines practice, suitable infection control, effective safeguarding and a clean, well-maintained environment.
People were supported to make choices, communicate in their own ways and take part in activities inside and outside the home. Relatives and an advocate described staff as caring, skilled and willing to go beyond what was expected.
The previous overall rating was Good, published in December 2019. The report says the rating for Safe and Well-led remained Good. It does not give current ratings for Effective, Caring or Responsive.
Choice and independence
People were supported to make choices about their lives and to take part in activities they wanted to do. Staff used a flexible approach and supported regular outings.
“People had choice in all aspects of their lives and were supported to do all they wanted to do.” from the report
Skilled and caring staff
Inspectors found staff knew people well and understood their individual needs and communication styles. Relatives and an advocate spoke very positively about the care.
“Genuinely caring staff who go above and beyond to make sure people get what they need.” from the report
Communication
Staff adapted how they communicated, including using sounds, gestures, body language, pictures and symbols. This helped them understand and respond to people.
“People had their own way of communicating, which included sounds, gestures, body language, pictures and symbols.” from the report
Staffing and medicines
There were enough staff, including one-to-one support when needed. Inspectors also found that people received their medicines when required and that medicines were reviewed.
“There were always enough staff on duty, including 1:1 support.” from the report
Leadership and improvement
The manager was described as approachable and involved. People, relatives and staff were asked for feedback, and the provider used this to improve the service.
“People, relatives and staff were all involved in developing and improving the service.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How will you make sure there are enough staff, including one-to-one support, for my relative's planned activities and outings?
- 02How do you record and review my relative's medicines, including any medicines that may affect their health and wellbeing?
- 03How will staff learn my relative's preferred way of communicating and keep this information up to date?
- 04How would you support my relative before and during a move into the home?
- 05How can relatives contribute to care plans, reviews, meetings and suggestions for improving the service?
This inspection assessed Safe and Well-led; the report does not give current ratings for Effective, Caring or Responsive. This explanation was written from the published report of 30 June 2023 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, February 2022
Saxon Lodge was inspected but not rated; inspectors found good infection-control practice during a targeted COVID-19 visit.
The inspection took place on 20 January 2022 and was announced one day in advance. It was a targeted inspection during the COVID-19 pandemic, looking at infection prevention, visiting arrangements and staffing pressures.
Inspectors found the home clean and free from odours. Staff used protective equipment correctly, visits were arranged to reduce infection risks, and the staff team worked together during increased sickness.
Inspectors were assured that the home was managing infection risks, including testing, admissions, outbreaks, visiting and staff vaccination. The service was inspected but not rated, so this report does not give an overall quality rating.
Clean environment
The home was clean, tidy and free from unpleasant smells.
“The service was clean, tidy and odour free.” from the report
Protective equipment
Staff used protective equipment appropriately and knew when it needed changing and how it should be disposed of.
“Staff were observed wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) appropriately.” from the report
Safer visiting
Visits were planned around people's needs and spaced out to reduce the risk of infection spreading between visitors.
“The service was booking visitors in at a time that suited people and was spaced out to avoid potential infection transmission with other visitors.” from the report
Managing staff sickness
The staff team worked together during an outbreak and increased sickness to reduce reliance on agency staff.
“The staff team had worked together to cover increased staff sickness during an outbreak to minimise the use of agency staff and potential to increase transmission of infection.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How are you managing staff sickness and staffing pressures now?
- 02How do you make sure staff use and change protective equipment correctly?
- 03How are visits arranged now, and what happens if there is an infection outbreak?
- 04How do you test people using the service and staff when required?
- 05How do you check that visiting professionals meet the current vaccination requirements?
This was a targeted inspection of infection prevention and control, visiting arrangements and staffing pressures during the COVID-19 pandemic; the service was inspected but not rated. This explanation was written from the published report of 11 February 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 Saxon Lodge
4 rated inspections over 8 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- June 2023Goodcurrent ratingSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- February 2022Inspected but not ratedSafe: Inspected but not rated
- December 2019Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodWell-led: Good
- June 2017Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- May 2015GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- November 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- July 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- November 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- April 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- December 2010
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 20 December 2010.
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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45 live-in carers within about an hour of Stockton-on-Tees
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 £1,190 a week. 40 can care for a couple. 10 years' experience on average.
“I found Alison to be kind , caring helpful concencious... Alison has a heart of gold”
“Petty introduced herself to Mum every time she was caring for her and responded very quickly to Mum if she was distressed in the night.”
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.