CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Shepherds Lodge Residential Home
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- People were protected from abuse and avoidable harm. Inspectors found enough experienced staff, safe medicines systems, suitable infection controls and appropriate risk management.
- Effective?
- Good
- This area was not reviewed during this focused inspection. Its previous rating was carried forward when calculating the overall rating.
- Caring?
- Good
- This area was not reviewed during this focused inspection. Its previous rating was carried forward when calculating the overall rating.
- Responsive?
- Good
- This area was not reviewed during this focused inspection. Its previous rating was carried forward when calculating the overall rating.
- Well-led?
- Good
- Inspectors found effective management and governance. The manager and staff understood people's needs, involved them in decisions and promoted a positive, person-centred culture.
What inspectors found, April 2023
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and person-centred care, but this was a focused inspection.
Inspectors visited on 16 and 31 March 2023. They spoke with people living in the home, the manager and care staff. They observed care, looked around the home and checked care, medicines, staffing and management records.
The home was rated Good overall. Inspectors found people were safe, treated with kindness and supported to make choices, build skills and take part in activities at home and in the community. Staff understood people's communication needs and individual support plans.
This was a focused inspection of Safe and Well-led. Both were rated Good. The other three areas were not inspected during this visit, so their previous ratings were carried forward from the 2017 inspection.
Choice and independence
Staff focused on what people could do and supported them to build skills, make choices and take part in activities in the home and community.
“People had a fulfilling and meaningful everyday life because staff focused on their strengths and promoted what they could do.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
Staff knew people well and responded to their individual needs. Inspectors found that privacy and dignity were respected.
“People received kind and compassionate care. Staff protected and respected people's privacy and dignity.” from the report
Safe staffing
The number and skills of staff matched people's needs. The staff team was stable and experienced, and people liked the staff supporting them.
“People were well cared for because the numbers and skills of staff matched the needs of people using the service.” from the report
Good management
The manager worked directly with people, understood their needs and used governance systems to monitor quality and safety.
“Governance processes were effective and helped to hold staff to account, keep people safe, protect people's rights and provide good quality care and support.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How will you continue supporting my relative to regain or maintain activities they enjoyed before the COVID-19 pandemic?
- 02How do you check medicines when they arrive, and what happens if the pharmacy makes an error?
- 03How are my relative's risks, choices and communication needs recorded and reviewed?
- 04How will you involve my relative and the people important to them in planning and reviewing their care?
- 05What were the previous ratings for Effective, Caring and Responsive, which were not reviewed during this inspection?
This was a focused inspection of Safe and Well-led only; the other ratings carried over from the 2017 inspection. This explanation was written from the published report of 26 April 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, March 2022
Inspected but not rated; inspectors found strong infection control and safe visiting arrangements at Shepherds Lodge Residential Home.
This was an unannounced, targeted inspection on 18 February 2022. It looked at infection prevention and control, including COVID-19 measures, and asked about staffing pressures.
Inspectors were assured that the home was preventing infections, using personal protective equipment safely, carrying out testing, and following social distancing and visiting guidance. The home also supported people to visit the community and adapted its arrangements during the pandemic.
The inspection did not give an overall quality rating or a rating for Safe. It was a focused check of infection control rather than a full inspection of all aspects of care.
Infection control
Inspectors were assured that visitors were protected from catching or spreading infections. The home also had arrangements for PPE, testing, hygiene and managing outbreaks.
“We were assured that the provider was preventing visitors from catching and spreading infections.” from the report
Safe visiting
The home supported visits in the home and in the community. Staff recognised that the pandemic had increased people's anxiety and offered reassurance.
“The registered manager had supported safe visiting in the home and in the community.” from the report
Adapted to changing needs
The home changed its accommodation and communal areas to respond to people's needs and support social distancing.
“The service had been responsive to people's changing needs.” from the report
COVID-19 vaccination arrangements
The home worked with other services so people living there and staff could access COVID-19 vaccines and booster doses. It also followed the vaccination requirement applying at the time.
“The registered manager had worked with other services to ensure people who lived in the home and staff had access to COVID-19 vaccines and booster doses.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How are infection prevention and control arrangements kept up to date now?
- 02How do you manage staffing pressures if staff are off because of illness or other COVID-19-related reasons?
- 03How are visits in the home and in the community supported now?
- 04What arrangements are in place to make new admissions safe?
- 05Can you show us the latest full inspection ratings or explain which areas were not covered by this inspection?
This was a targeted inspection of infection prevention and control, with staffing pressures also discussed; it did not rate the overall service or the other care questions. This explanation was written from the published report of 17 March 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 Shepherds Lodge Residential Home
3 rated inspections over 8 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- April 2023Goodcurrent ratingSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
Read what inspectors found at Shepherds Lodge Residential Home →
- March 2022Inspected but not ratedSafe: Inspected but not rated
Read what inspectors found at Shepherds Lodge Residential Home →
- December 2017Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodWell-led: Good
- May 2015GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Good
- May 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- August 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- November 2011
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 15 November 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.
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9 live-in carers within about an hour of Westmorland and Furness
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.
8 can care for a couple. 10 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.