We carried out a review of the data available to us about Dunster Lodge Residential Home on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about Dunster Lodge Residential Home, you can give feedback on this service.
Dunster Lodge Residential Home is a care home which is registered to provide care and accommodation to up to 19 people. The home specialises in the care of older people. At the time of the inspection there were 14 people living at the home.
The house is an older style building with accommodation arranged over three floors. There is a passenger lift and stair lifts to enable people to access all areas.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People lived in a home which was well led by an enthusiastic and experienced management team. There were systems in place to monitor standards and plan improvements. People’s and staff’s views were listened to and used to influence changes and improvements.
People felt safe at the home and with the staff who supported them. The staff worked in partnership with other agencies to minimise the risks of abuse to people. There were adequate numbers of staff to meet people’s needs and keep them safe.
People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. Staff respected people’s choices and preferences.
People were cared for by staff who were kind and compassionate. Staff were happy in their jobs which helped to provide a warm and relaxed environment for people to live in. People had built good relationships with staff and during the inspection we heard laughter and good-humoured banter.
People received care and support in a way that met their personal needs and enabled them to follow their own routines, interests and beliefs. People who lived at the home were treated as individuals and chose how they spent their time.
There were activities, informal chatter and entertainment which provided people with social stimulation. People were supported to maintain contact with friends and family and staff supported them to access community facilities.
Rating at last inspection
The last rating for this service was Good (report published 30 March 2017)
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
Follow up: We will continue to monitor intelligence we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If any concerning information is received we may inspect sooner.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
This is the first inspection of this established service since its re-registration as a new legal entity on 15 December 2015 There is a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run. The registered manager was supported on a continuous basis by the provider who made regular contributions to the running of the home.
The service provides care and support for people for up to 19 people in a traditional house in a rural setting at the edge of the village of Alcombe. In the past year the home environment had been improved by the addition of new windows and work on some of the bedrooms.
People told us they felt safe at the home and with the staff who supported them. They told us they could talk to any of the staff. People said they felt safe and were looked after “very well.” They said they liked the fact that there was always someone there who would do whatever they could to help.
People were supported by sufficient numbers of staff to meet their needs. They said staff usually came to help them quickly unless they were busy helping other people. One person said “I rarely need to use the bell at night but one night I did not feel good. They came straight away and helped me through the night.”
People said the food was good. They commented on the home cooked meals and the variety of vegetables. Most people chose to eat their meals in the dining room. Lunch time was a pleasant sociable occasion. People enjoyed the food and the conversation, and interaction with each other and the staff. Some people chose not to eat in the dining room and this was respected.
The manager and staff were very pro-active in arranging for people to see health care professionals according to their individual needs. Staff noted changes in people’s health and requested GP visits when required.
People were supported by kind and caring staff. Some people had lived in the home for several years. One person said “Staff are always kind and polite. There is no trouble there at all.” People received care that was responsive to their needs and personalised to their wishes and preferences. People were able to make choices about all aspects of their day to day lives.
There were formal and informal quality assurance systems in place to monitor care and plan on-going improvements. There were audits and checks in place to monitor safety and quality of care.