Registrations Working with regulators to provide the best quality complex care
We work closely with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) who are the independent regulator of health and adult social care in England.
Their aim is to make sure health and social care services provide people with safe, effective, compassionate, high-quality care.
We value feedback form inspectors, professionals, our residents and their families. Here are some quotes from our most recent CQC inspections.
South Africa Lodge
People and their relatives were very positive about the service and the care provided. People were cared for by staff who knew how to keep them safe and protect them from avoidable harm.
People told us they were safe. One person said, “Nothing to worry about its peaceful, it’s very quiet”.
We observed, and staffing rotas showed that planned staffing levels were being achieved. One person told us “Plenty of staff, you are never left on your own”.
People’s rights to make their own decisions were respected. One person said, “They always ask what I want, and I will decide and choose”.
Staff were competent, knowledgeable and skilled; and carried out their roles effectively.
People were positive about the care they received and told us staff were caring. One person said, “Yeah they are very good, very helpful when you need them”. One relative told us, “Everyone knows my husband and treats him with dignity and they are professional”
People and relatives praised the responsiveness of the team. We saw one example of where a person’s ongoing condition changed. The clinical leads within the service made an immediate referral to a specialist healthcare professional to ensure the person received the support they needed. We spoke with this professional and they told us “They are brilliant, they always implement what we discuss”.
People told us they knew how to make a complaint. Relatives told us any concerns were dealt with immediately. One relative said, “‘I know who to take it to and it will get resolved to my satisfaction, well there’s always give and take in any situation. I write more complement notes than complaints”.
Staff were extremely positive about the skills and leadership of the provider. A member of staff said, “[Clinical lead] is brilliant”.
Peoples individual needs were assessed; the assessment was then used to calculate the staffing levels. We saw one example of how a person assessed needs had change and the service had responded by increasing the staffing levels to ensure this person’s care needs were met.
Staff understood when people needed help from their families and others important to them when making decisions about their care and support. This was done in a sensitive manner to each person’s individual needs and they did all they could to encourage support and involvement.
Care plans were regularly reviewed to ensure these remained current. Reasonable adjustments were made where appropriate that ensured the service identified, recorded, shared and met the communication needs of people with a disability or sensory loss.
Kitnocks House
Relatives felt their loved ones were safe living at Kitnocks House and they were very much at the heart of the service. We received consistent positive feedback from relatives and professionals.
A professional told us, “When the client was discharged to the placement, they proactively liaised with me and the nurses on the previous ward to seek advice and tips into how to manage client’s behaviour and support needs”.
Relatives felt staffing levels were sufficient. One relative told us, “Whenever we go there are adequate staff. Always two staff in the communal room. If you need someone you can find someone”.
Relatives we spoke with were happy with the management at the service. One relative told us, “The manager is very helpful, people on the phone can’t do enough”. Another relative said, “The managers are very supportive and helpful”.
One staff member told us, “If I have any issues or concerns, I can approach any member of staff for advice and support”. Another staff member said, “I feel supported by the nursing team and my colleagues and I am very grateful that I have been given the opportunity to work in such a team”.
One professional told us, “They work collaboratively with us to prioritise patient’s need to be discharged, I understand they communicate well with relatives and ward teams”.
Another professional said, “Kitnocks staff group are open and engaged in the assessment process before admission. Feedback following admission is good and regular and reasonable. I am able to communicate with Unit manager, nurse in charge and support staff to get a broader picture”.
Another stated, “They work in partnership with me during the client’s care and support plan review. They acknowledge my care and support plan whilst integrating it into theirs to ensure the client’s needs are met. They inform me if they have any concerns with the client’s support needs which will then be resolved by all professionals involved and the family”.
Relatives were happy with the service. One relative told us, “They make sure he’s okay, they look after him well. The activities organiser often video call me using her own phone, I can see my father”. Another relative said, “They are doing all they can. One home she was in lasted two hours, the difference here is vast. They can’t do enough for her”. Another relative said, “They asked about his routine, they’ve reacted, he’s not been forced to fit in. Dad is treated as an individual”.
One professional told us, “Kitnocks offers a service unavailable elsewhere in Hampshire to meet the needs of older people with challenging behaviours as a result of mental health issues. Kitnocks are clear on what they can and cannot manage and on only one occasion have they been unable to manage the needs of a patient of mine. I hold Kitnocks care to be of a higher quality than other Tier 4 homes in the area”.
Management and staff, we spoke with felt passionate about providing person centred care for the people they look after. We were given many examples by relatives of person-centred care achieving good outcomes for people. Care plans we looked at were very detailed and person centred.