Astral Lodge Residential Home

Who the service is for

The service supports older people and people living with dementia.

Key findings

We carried out this assessment from 3 August until the 13 August 2026. This service was previously rated as good. We carried out this assessment to confirm whether the rating of good remains accurate. This report does not provide detailed information on areas where we found practice continues to meet a good standard. Instead, our findings focus on any areas where the service needs to improve or where we found exceptional practice.

People consistently told us they were happy and felt safe living at the service. One person told us, “This is a safe place, all the staff are kind and when you press your buzzer they come within minutes.” People were supported by enough staff who had the skills and knowledge to support them safely. New staff underwent a thorough recruitment process and had a full induction. Staff received training appropriate to their role which was regularly updated. People were given their medicines as prescribed and where needed medicines were reviewed by the GP practice. Staff had their competency checked to support people with medicines and the registered manager completed regular audits to ensure medicines were supported safely.

People were safeguarded from the risk of abuse by staff who understood their responsibilities to report concerns. One member of staff told us, “Safeguarding is the protection of residents from harm or abuse, to make sure they are alright and do not get hurt. If I had concerns, I would tell a senior or the manager and can inform the local authority directly.” Records we saw showed the registered manager reported safeguarding concerns to the local authority safeguarding team and worked with them to ensure people were safe.

There was a consistent staff team at the service, and we observed there were enough staff to support people promptly. A relative told us, “They do not have a high turnover of staff, and all the staff really care.” Staff told us they felt they had enough staff each shift to support people safely and spend time with them. Relatives and people were very complimentary of the staff team and registered manager. One relative said, “The [registered manager name] sets a really good example and everything follows through.”

Staff told us they had regular meetings to discuss people’s care needs and the running of the service with the registered manager. The registered manager completed observations of staff practice and engaged in regular supervision sessions with staff to help with their professional development. Staff told us they had a good team and that the registered manager was very supportive. One member of staff said, “We worked together really well as a team, and the manager has been amazingly supportive to me when I have needed it.”

Care was person centred and assessments of people’s needs were completed before they started using the service. We saw from care plans and risk assessments we reviewed staff had all the information they needed to support people safely. Each person had a named key worker who worked closely with them to ensure their needs could be met as they wished. Before people came to the service an assessment of their needs was completed, and they or their family had an opportunity to look around the service.

Staff had systems in place to monitor people’s health needs. The registered manager worked closely with the local GP practice and district nursing team to ensure people’s health needs were attended to promptly. A health professional shared with us, “The staff have excellent communication skills. They keep us regularly updated and adopt a collaborative approach that helps ensure a smooth and safe transition of care.”

People can only be deprived of their liberty to receive care and treatment with appropriate legal authority. In care homes, this can be done through a procedure called the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS), which is part of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). We checked whether the service was working within the principles of the MCA and how they managed DoLS within the service. We found that staff and management worked within the MCA. DoLS authorisations were appropriately applied for and overseen. People were not subject to unlawful or excessive restrictions they had choice, control and freedom over their lives. Where conditions of DoLS were in place the registered manager ensured these conditions were met. The registered manager worked closely with people’s advocates to ensure their rights were being upheld and their voices heard. An advocate informed us, “We communicate well and have established a good professional working relationship. Staff know when to escalate concerns and instruct advocacy.”

The registered manager informed us the provider had been updating the physical environment over the last 12 months. This had included externally replacing windows and redecoration of the external building. Internally the registered manager informed us all fire doors had been replaced to meet required standards. There was on-going redecoration with upstairs being redecorated first in main areas and people’s rooms with new furniture provided as needed. The registered manager told us they had plans to continue this refurbishment downstairs. The provider employed maintenance staff who undertook regular maintenance and monitoring of the environment. A recent fire risk assessment had been completed, and staff underwent fire evacuation drills. Each person had a personal evacuation plan in place for staff to follow.

The registered manager promoted equality in experience and outcome for people. The registered manager had systems in place to measure and monitor outcomes for people, including holding regular meetings with people and relatives, and undertaking regular surveys. We saw from minutes of meetings that any issues were discussed and responded to with feedback given to people at their next meeting. For example, we saw there had been a request to have a breakfast time brunch as a meal and we observed people enjoying this at a mealtime.

The registered manager had systems in place to keep oversight of the service. There were audits in place which demonstrated learning and actions taken to monitor and improve outcomes for people. Staff shared the registered managers vision to provide positive outcomes for people. The registered manager told us, “We are small service and we want it to feel a homely place for people to live.” A member of staff told us, “We want to give people fulfilling lives and to be as independent as possible. We want people to be part of the decision-making process and to feel dignity and respect.”