De Brook Lodge care home in Manchester have once again received ‘GOOD’ news following their latest inspection from regulatory body, the Care Quality Commission. The inspection, which took place in early September, saw the care team upholding their score across all five key areas of care including: safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led.
During the visit, Inspectors observed day to day life at the home and examined paperwork, policies and care plans. They spoke to eight residents and four family members, along with seven employees to gather a full picture prior to compiling the complimentary report which concluded that De Brook Lodge staff, who provide care for up to 52 residents, promote a positive culture that is open, inclusive and empowering, achieving positive outcomes for the people who live at the home.
The constant theme running through the report shows that residents and staff feel supported and happy and that the home has continued to build and implement further positive changes since their last inspection.
The Inspector commended the team for their commitment to providing an interesting daily activities programme, which is created with resident’s hobbies and interests in mind. The report details how staff support residents to maintain relationships, increasing social interactions through the use of a befriender system and hosting regular activities such as movie afternoons in the onsite cinema and karaoke afternoons.
Residents were able to give a guided tour of their ‘Olympic’ themed garden, which had just been selected as a regional winner in care provider, Ideal Carehomes, ‘Ideal Gardens in Bloom’ competition.
Residents’ families also supported the report, commenting to the Inspector, ‘The staff at De Brook are very accommodating, really taking the time to understand my loved one’s needs’.
Registered Home Manager, Rachel McIntosh, was commended throughout the report for promoting an open and fair working environment and culture. She said, ‘It is a proud moment to receive this report and to maintain our ‘GOOD’ rating. Having the seal of approval from the CQC is testament to all our hard work to constantly deliver the highest standards of care. The team are thrilled with the news and deserve all the credit!’.
Staff spoke with the inspectors explaining how happy they are in their place of work, with one team member commenting, ‘It is a close-knit team, and we work well together, everyone is great with the residents’. Another staff member added, ‘I have lots of confidence in our management team, Rachel is a very hands-on Manager and its clear how much she wants staff to develop’.
In 2020, the team were commended by CQC inspectors for pulling together throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, with inspectors praising their commitment to infection control, PPE, testing and training. The home scored top marks across all infection prevention and control areas in both inspections since the start of the pandemic.
Ideal Carehomes Regional Director, Christina Durnan, said, ‘I would like to personally congratulate the whole team who make our home such a great place for our residents to live. They all do a fantastic job, and it is wonderful to see them getting the recognition that they deserve for a second year in a row – I know it will mean so much to everyone!’.
De Brook Lodge, operated by Ideal Carehomes, is a residential care home boasting a hair salon, cinema and light and airy social spaces. Residents at De Brook Lodge can enjoy a full programme of health, leisure and wellbeing activities managed by a dedicated team of carers. For more information, call Rachel on 0161 755 9750 or live chat at idealcarehomes.co.uk. For daily updates from De Brook Lodge, visit their Facebook Page @debrooklodgecarehome.