Littleton Lodge

On this page

• Overview
• Shared direction and culture
• Capable, compassionate and inclusive leaders
• Freedom to speak up
• Workforce equality, diversity and inclusion
• Governance, management and sustainability
• Partnerships and communities
• Learning, improvement and innovation

There was an open and positive culture within the service where leaders were experienced, compassionate and led with integrity. Staff mirrored this positive approach and people, and staff felt heard. The service worked well with other partner agencies to collaborate for improvement. The registered manager was committed and working to make improvements across the service, with input from people, their relatives and staff. The provider had effective governance systems in place, these were in the process of being embedded with the new registered manager and area director. These systems assessed and managed the safety and quality of the service.

This service scored 79 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

The registered manager promoted an open and positive culture across the service. Staff mirrored the positive culture demonstrated by the registered manager. The registered manager showed a compassionate approach which supported people living at the home and staff supporting them. The registered manager told us, “We have a very dedicated staff team, caring staff who know the residents and their needs well. Staff have been on board with the changes we have implemented and there is always room for progression within the company for staff development.” Staff we spoke with shared compliments of the registered manager and confirmed they were approachable and had faith of the direction of the service since the registered manager had been in post. One staff member told us, “Staff morale is a lot better with the new registered manager, staff feel valued. Everything seems calmer and happier now.”

The provider had systems in place to provide staff with the opportunity to engage in the service, and to provide feedback to make improvements to the home. This was achieved through one-to-one supervision, staff meetings, and informal conversations with seniors and the management team to help promote consistent good practice.

The registered manager and area director were newly in post at the time of our inspection, and were working to ensure clear roles and responsibilities were set out for staff to follow. The registered manager was passionate about ensuring staff had opportunities to develop and identified and encouraged staff to apply for roles as part of their progression. Staff confirmed the completed required training and received support from the management team to enhance their own skills, knowledge and development. One member of staff told us, “The registered manager is really supportive. It amazes me how they find time for everybody and everything.” The registered manager confirmed the sharing of best practice and new initiatives with staff and requested they signed when policies were read to ensure they had the access to up-to-date versions.

The provider kept up to date with changes in the health and social care sector and cascaded information with the staff team. The provider had transferred to a new system, within this there was a training matrix, this meant the registered manager could review and receive alerts when any training courses were due for completion. The registered manager had recently attended and participated in a trip with people and staff chosen by people living at Littleton Lodge, to provide further opportunity to know the residents and so they could get to know the registered manager. Both people and staff commented positively about the registered managers attendance on this. One person told us, “There has been a beach trip to Wales, [Registered Manager name] organised that, they drove one of the buses, we had a great time.”

Staff were aware of the whistle blowing policy and were confident issues or concerns raised would be dealt with timely and appropriately. Staff we spoke with confirmed the process they followed if they had any concerns. They confirmed they were confident to speak up as and when required.

The provider had an effective whistleblowing process in place which staff were aware of and used if needed. Staff had access to this, and it was accessible around the service for people and staff to access as needed.

The registered manager supported staff and encouraged and promoted an inclusive staff culture. Staff confirmed the registered manager was approachable and they felt confident to raise and challenge any discrimination or prejudice. The registered manager promoted equality and diversity in the staff team. The registered manager gave us examples of how they had supported staff to ensure their protected characteristics were met.

The provider had systems and processes in place to support staff to feel respected and valued. Staff were encouraged to be open about their needs as they wished.

Staff confirmed they were held accountable when things went wrong, and learning was shared across the staff team. The registered manager had systems in place to ensure shortfalls were identified and implemented. Since being in post, the registered manager had identified areas for improvement including the use of agency staff and people’s care plans requiring further specific detail.

The provider had systems in place to support, assess and maintain accountability, safety and governance across the service. Audits were completed regularly, and actions were taken as a result of any identified shortfalls. The provider ensured audits were completed by the required responsible person, and reviewed in a timely manner to ensure action was taken.

People achieved positive outcomes for their care and support through the different communities working across the service. The provider worked with local communities to ensure people had an awareness and understanding of the history of the local area and where the home was located. For example, a member of the public had built a life size model of the mining industry, from when the mines were in working order from previous years. This provided people and visitors with a visual guide of what the home used to be.

Staff we spoke with, told us they raised any concerns with senior staff and the registered manager, and liaised with health and social care professionals as and when required. Staff told us they had no issues in ensuring the required professionals were consulted about people’s needs. One staff member confirmed, “I am a firm believer in that you get to know your residents and know what they need. You know what’s out of character for them.” The registered manager told us they were confident staff recognised and raised any issues, changes or concerns with people’s health and wellbeing. The registered manager then took the required action to ensure people received the required care and support from external health professionals.

The professionals involved with the service confirmed staff raised concerns as and when required. Some professionals, however felt the care staff did not always follow their advice and guidance and were not always visible to pass information to.

The management team worked alongside other professionals and stakeholders to improve outcomes for people. The provider shared the findings from a recent Healthwatch report, which identified high use of agency staff. The provider had several connections with the local community, which provided people with positive experiences. For example, on the day of our inspection a toddler play session took place in the ground floor lounge. People had the choice to attend and interact with the session as they wished. Following the session, one person informed a member of staff they, ‘Really enjoyed that’.

Staff members we spoke with were confident in the new management and felt able to raise suggestions to improve the service people received. The registered manager demonstrated a positive approach to drive improvement and ensured staff had clear learning to improve the outcome and quality of life for people. During our inspection the registered manager was very receptive to our feedback and took action to investigate and review any concerns.

The provider had systems and processes in place to identify areas for improvement. Whilst the registered manager was newly appointed, they followed processes to identify areas for improvement and took action where required to keep people safe and improve their quality of care. Across the service there was a shared approach of continuous learning and improvement.