CQC sing the praises of South Africa Lodge in Waterlooville

Staff at Waterlooville care home, South Africa Lodge, have been praised highly by healthcare professionals and relatives in a new report by the regulator.

The 99-bedroom home was rated as ‘Good’ across all five categories in the watchdog’s report following an unannounced visit on the 21st September, in which inspectors quoted that a professional had said “I find the nursing staff and senior care staff at South Africa Lodge to be excellent. I can honestly say they are dedicated advocates for the residents that they care for”.

South Africa Lodge provides care for people with challenging behaviours associated with complex neurological and mental health needs, many of whom have been moved on from general care homes, due to their complex needs. The home’s management of these individuals was also praised by healthcare professionals in the CQC report stating, “South Africa Lodge manage high levels of complex needs. They carry out robust assessments which makes placements successful”, they also added the home’s Activities Team were “excellent in their dedication to supporting residents”.

Families of residents told inspectors from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) that they felt their loved ones were safe living at the care home with one quoted as saying “I don’t think we could have found a better place for him”.

South Africa Lodge is owned by the Cornerstone Healthcare Group. The organisation was this year named ‘Best Neurobehavioral Specialist in the UK’ for the second year running. The influential HealthInvestors magazine also named Cornerstone as the ‘Best Complex Care Provider’ in the country in 2020 and 2021.

The home’s newly appointed General Manager, Niki Richards, said she was delighted with the inspector’s report, “I’m extremely proud to have joined a service that has received such a wonderful report from the CQC. I’m very much looking forward to working with the team to build on this already fabulous reputation”.

Cornerstone’s Chief Operating Officer, Dara Ní Ghadra, praised the team and said: “It was nice for the CQC to acknowledge the fantastic, specialist care that South Africa Lodge provides, considering it is such a large home at 99 beds. This level of care is often associated with small, dedicated units. This really is a testament to our staff who embed our Cornerstone values throughout”.