Clarence Road
London, E5 · 0.2 km
Residential
Rated 3 years agocare home
CQC report explained · a nursing home, run by Acorn Lodge
Acorn Lodge Care Centre
15 Atherden Road, Hackney, London, E5 0QP
Goodpublished 27 January 2024, 2 years ago
Rated Good: inspectors found the service performing well and meeting their expectations.
The five questions inspectors ask
- Safe?
- Good
- People were protected from abuse and avoidable harm. Inspectors found enough staff, safe recruitment, monitored risks, safe medicines systems and good infection prevention arrangements.
- Effective?
- Good
- People's needs were assessed and staff were trained and supported. Food and drink support had improved since the previous inspection, although feedback about food variety was mixed.
- Caring?
- Good
- Staff treated people with kindness, patience and respect. Inspectors saw staff protect privacy and dignity, while encouraging independence and involvement in decisions.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care plans reflected people's needs and preferences. People could take part in group or individual activities, maintain relationships and raise complaints.
- Well-led?
- Good
- The home had a clear management structure and regular audits, meetings and feedback systems. Inspectors found an open culture and evidence of learning after incidents.
The latest report, explained
What inspectors found, January 2024
Acorn Lodge Care Centre is rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with improvements in supporting nutrition.
This was an unannounced inspection over four visits in November 2023. Inspectors spoke with people living in the home, relatives, staff and managers. They observed care and reviewed care records, staff files, medicines records and quality checks.
All five areas were rated Good: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Inspectors found enough staff, safe medicines systems, suitable risk assessments and good infection control. People were treated with kindness, respect and dignity.
Care was personalised. People could choose their meals, activities and how they spent their time. The home supported access to health professionals and involved people and relatives in care planning.
The Effective rating improved from Requires Improvement at the previous inspection. This followed improvements in supporting people's nutrition and hydration. The overall rating and the other four ratings remained Good. The previous overall rating was Good, published in October 2019.
What inspectors praised
Enough staff
People and relatives said staff were available and responded promptly. Inspectors tested call bells and saw staff attend people's rooms quickly.
“We tested a random sample of call bells and observed staff attend to people's rooms promptly.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
Inspectors observed staff speaking kindly and spending time with people. People's privacy, dignity and independence were respected.
“We observed staff speak to people in a kind and compassionate manner, spending time laughing and interacting with them.” from the report
Improved food and drink support
The home had improved its support for nutrition and hydration since the previous inspection. People were offered different meals, drinks and alternatives.
“People were supported to eat and drink enough to maintain a balanced diet.” from the report
Personalised activities
People could choose activities inside or outside the home, including group or one-to-one support. Relatives were invited to join in.
“The home had activities coordinators who supported group and individual activities to prevent social isolation and to help build friendships.” from the report
What inspectors were concerned about
Food variety
minorFeedback about the food was mixed. Some people enjoyed it, while others wanted more variety.
“Feedback on the quality of the food was mixed with some people enjoying the food offered and others wanting more variety.” from the report
Questions to ask them, based on this report
- 01How do you find out what food variety my relative wants, and what do you do when someone is unhappy with the choices?
- 02How will you support my relative to take part in activities that match their interests, including one-to-one activities if needed?
- 03How will you assess and review my relative's risks, mobility needs and independence after they move in?
- 04How will you support my relative's communication needs, including hearing equipment, pictures or help in their preferred language?
- 05How will you involve me and my relative in care planning, reviews and decisions about health care?
This was an unannounced inspection of the care home, including its premises and care, and inspectors assessed all five key questions. This explanation was written from the published report of 27 January 2024 by an AI system and checked against the report text: every quoted line appears in the report. It is a guide to the report, not a substitute for it. Read the full report on cqc.org.uk.
The story over the years
Every inspection of Acorn Lodge Care Centre
7 rated inspections over 8 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- January 2024Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- March 2021Goodup from Requires improvementSafe: GoodWell-led: Good
- January 2021Requires improvementSafe: Requires improvementWell-led: Requires improvement
- December 2020Inspected but not ratedSafe: Inspected but not rated
- October 2019Requires improvementstayed Requires improvementSafe: Requires improvementEffective: Requires improvementCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Requires improvement
- September 2018Requires improvementdown from GoodSafe: Requires improvementEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Requires improvement
- May 2017Goodstayed GoodWell-led: Good
- June 2016GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Requires improvement
- February 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- November 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- August 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- October 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- December 2010
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 7 December 2010.
Ratings and report dates from the Care Quality Commission. A service can also be visited without a new rating being published, so the timeline shows published inspections, not every contact the CQC has had with the service.
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