New manager praised as watchdog hails improvement at Louth care home
Praise has been heaped on the new manager after a care home in Louth was found to have improved from its previous inspection.
Madeira House, on High Holme Road, was given a rating of ‘Requires Improvement’ by the national watchdog, the Care Quality Commission (CQC), early last year.
It followed concerns the watchdog had received about quality of care, cleanliness, poor leadership, medicines, managing risks and keeping people safe.
The home was also said to be “in breach of legal regulations in relation to governance and staffing”.
But after the latest visit by CQC inspectors in March, it has now been upgraded to ‘Good’ – thanks primarily to changes implemented by new boss Julie Esprit.
The inspectors’ report says: “At this assessment, we found enough improvement has been made, and the provider is no longer in breach.
"Residents and their relatives described to us a ‘before and after’ scenario, with the arrival of the new registered manager, highlighting her positive impact on the service.
"The service is well-led. The manager has worked hard at improving the culture of the home since our last assessment.
"She was open and honest throughout the assessment. She has fostered a positive working culture, which has contributed to residents having positive experiences.
"Leaders and staff collaborate with residents and relatives to ensure people receive the care they need.”
On the home’s website, Julie says: “I bring a lifelong passion for caring to Madeira House.
"My focus is always on providing safe, compassionate care and creating a family-like environment where residents feel valued and supported.”
Madeira House is one of more than 30 care homes across the UK that are run by the long-standing and respected London-based company, Advinia Health Care.
It is described by the CQC as “a residential home for older people living with dementia and physical or sensory impairment”.
The home has a capacity for up to 51 residents but, at the time of the March inspection, there were 22 people living there.
The inspectors found that Madeira House is “safe”, with residents “protected by effective safeguarding processes”. Staff were well trained, and medicines were well managed.
The report went on: “Residents receive safe, person-centred care from kind and compassionate staff. They describe the service as homely and clean.
"Feedback about leaders and the staff was positive. There were enough staff, who were not rushed and who understood the residents’ needs well.”
Advinia was also praised for “fostering a culture where residents felt they could speak up and their voices would be heard”.
The company also “valued diversity in the workforce” and ensured there were “clear responsibilities, roles and systems of accountability”.
The only criticisms the CQC had of their home concerned “some infection prevention and control shortfalls in the kitchen”, and also the fact that “quality assurance processes were not always used effectively”.