The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has rated Fairdene Lodge, in Hove, as outstanding following an inspection on 9 December.
The service run by Fairdene Lodge Care Home Limited, is a residential care home for up to 42 older people, some of whom have dementia. At the time of inspection 41 people were living there.
The inspection was carried out as part of CQC’s regular checks on the safety and quality of the service.
Following this inspection, CQC has upgraded the overall rating of the service from good to outstanding as well as for how well-led it is. Responsive has again been rated as outstanding. Safe, caring and effective have been again rated as good.
Serena Coleman, deputy director of operations in the south, said:
“We found Fairdene Lodge had exceptional leadership and staff who went above and beyond to provide the best quality care.
“Leaders had an exceptional understanding of the diverse health and care needs of people living at the home and their local communities. This meant people’s care was joined-up, flexible and supported their individual choices.
“A great deal of time and attention was taken to ensure residents could follow their own interests while living there. Staff tailored activities to people’s interests as well as their strengths and abilities, to help promote people’s independence and make Fairdene Lodge as inclusive as possible for the people who called it home.
“Relatives spoke exceptionally highly of the home and how it improved people’s wellbeing. One resident formed a new friendship through their love of dancing, and another was provided with pamper sessions as they were unable to leave their bed. There was also praise for the bikes available for people to cycle on the seafront. People’s rooms also had voice-activated technology which were personalised to their preferences, such as music playlists and stories.
“The home had a unique wish scheme in place, where residents could request things they hoped to happen while they lived there, and staff went above and beyond to try to grant these wishes. For one resident who wished to meet a famous singer, staff arranged a tribute act to perform at the home.
“Leaders gave staff extensive opportunities to carry out further training and progress in their roles. We found staff were extremely confident and passionate when supporting people due to the knowledge and high level of training they had received. Leaders had also employed a dementia specialist consultant to maximise understanding of people’s needs and preferences.
“Everyone at Fairdene Lodge should be very proud of the high-quality care they are providing and other providers should look at this report to see what they can learn.”
Inspectors found:
- People and their relatives spoke highly of staff and their involvement in planning their care. Staff were described as knowledgeable, welcoming, and attentive.
- The service’s facilities and equipment were clean, well-maintained and met people’s needs. All areas were easily accessible for people and improvements to the site were made with this in mind, including a new garden room and extension to the living area.
- People’s individual risks and needs were assessed and managed appropriately.
- Medicines were managed safely and processes were regularly audited.
- Safety incidents were thoroughly investigated and leaders ensured changes were implemented as needed.
- Leaders regularly sought and responded to feedback from people, their relatives, and staff, to make improvements at the service.
The report will be published on CQC’s website in the coming days.