Lambwood Heights rated ‘good’ in first CQC report

Lambwood Heights Care Home in Chigwell has been praised for its “exceptionally meaningful” care in its first report by the Care Quality Commission. The care home was rated ‘good’ in four of the five inspection categories, and ‘outstanding’ in its ‘responsiveness. The home was inspected over two days in June of this year, its first review by the CQC since opening in February 2020.

The report said residents were “receiving an exceptional personalised service that met their needs,” and that staff “went the extra mile to ensure people lived as full a life as possible.”  Inspectors noted numerous examples of care tailored to individuals’ likes and needs and praised the team for their “excellent skills and a keen interest in finding out as much as they could about people’s history.”

One resident, who was previously a nurse, supported the staff at the beginning of the pandemic by checking people’s temperatures and now has their own digital thermometer.  “This helped them to use skills they had learned as a nurse and gave them a sense of purpose,” inspectors said.

The report highlighted how staff had enabled one resident to return to their beloved golf club while another, who’d been a keen dancer, was supported by staff to attend twice-weekly classes at a local dance studio.

Residents contribute to a weekly newsletter with a number of them having regular columns that featured their specific knowledge or interests such as travel, animals and finance.   “This was another opportunity to engage people in meaningful activities,” inspectors said.   “This meant people had an enhanced sense of wellbeing and exceptional quality of life.” Individuals’ needs and characteristics were noted as being protected; a Halal menu had been introduced to meet the religious needs of an incoming resident and shared living arrangements had been established for couples who had moved in.

Inspectors noted people’s communication needs were assessed and information was shared in a range of accessible formats.  They highlighted the home’s provision of a hearing loop, audiobooks and voice-controlled virtual assistants. “With some training, instructions, prompts and reminders, people were calling their families all over the world, exploring the web and having a lot of fun”.

Registered manager, Sonia Kasese, was delighted their hard work had been recognised. “We are very pleased with this report.  It acknowledges the excellent team we have here and just how much effort they put into creating the best quality of life for the people who live here. “Being ‘exceptional’ is one of our core values and we’re delighted to see that coming through in our daily support for our residents.  However, we will always look at how we can improve, so that we know we are offering the very best service.”

Inspectors acknowledged the home’s efforts to keep residents safe during the COVID pandemic and its compliance with infection control procedures.

In the 18 months since its opening, the report noted the “excellent links with the local community” the staff had established and its membership of the local Dementia Action Alliance.  As part of this, the home will be part of ‘The Archie Project’ in September, an intergenerational awareness scheme that will see local schoolchildren visit the home to lessen the fear associated with dementia.

As part of the inspection, residents’ relatives were spoken to for their thoughts on the home’s end of life care which one family member described as “magnificent.”  Relatives gave their general impressions of Lambwood Heights, with staff being described as “extremely kind” and “beyond caring.” “This is in all full terms a care home,” one said.  “The most important word is home.”

Read the full report on the CQC website.