Priory Fern Lodge

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About this location

Fern Lodge is located in the historic Roman city of Chester, in Cheshire. Our home is set in a suburban area of the city, off a main road, and offers residential and nursing support for 17 males and females with mental health needs.

Our team are dedicated to offering a calm, peaceful and homely environment, with 24-hour nursing care. We are able to support people from a variety of backgrounds, including those who have been in hospital, and people who are moving into our home from the community. Our focus is on stabilising our resident’s mental health, and supporting them to develop their daily living skills.

We can also support those who have:

  • A dual diagnosis with a learning disability, with a primary mental health diagnosis
  • Mild to moderate behaviour that may challenge
  • Epilepsy
  • Diabetes
  • Nursing needs
  • Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and hoarding

Services at a glance

There are a total of 17 bedrooms at the site. Of these:
2 are en-suite bedrooms
8 are on the ground floor

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Fern Lodge 5 Eversley Park Chester Cheshire CH2 2AJ
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About our service

Our facilities and environment

Fern Lodge is set in a large, detached, Victorian house. The property is spacious and offers a relaxed, homely environment.

The service is split across the property’s three floors, with one floor designated as for females only, and the other floors catering for a mixture of genders. There are communal bathrooms on each floor, two bedrooms have en-suite facilities, and all other bedrooms have their own wash basin facilities.

In summary, we offer:

  • A large lounge with plenty of seating
  • Kitchen and dining room
  • Communal bathrooms
  • Communal wet room

We also have a large garden, complete with:

  • Secure fencing
  • Lawn
  • Communal seating
  • Summer house/activity room
  • Shelter

Our bedrooms

All of our bedrooms are comfortable, welcoming and can be personalised to individual tastes. Our bedrooms have:

  • Wash basin facilities
  • Wheelchair access

Our approach to support

Everybody who lives at Fern Lodge has their own person-centred care plan, which is co-produced with input from the individual, their family members and professionals involved in their care. We aim to help everyone in our care to make their own choices about the support they receive. This may include support in a number of areas, such as going out in the community, personal care, cooking and cleaning, and maintaining family relationships.

Our support approaches at Fern Lodge include 24-hour nursing, and speech and language therapy. Our local multidisciplinary team supports us in meeting the additional therapy needs of our residents. In addition, we use tools such as the Outcomes Star™, including Recovery Star, to support our residents to achieve their goals.

The lengths of the placements that we offer at Fern Lodge can be medium or long-term residential, depending on the needs of each person.

Activities

Everyone who lives at Fern Lodge has their own personalised activities planner and are encouraged to take part in activities which are meaningful and fulfilling to them. Our dedicated team organise a variety of activities at the home, as well as out in the community.

 

We focus on supporting our residents to grow their independence. For some people, this may mean developing their daily living skills within the home. For others, this could be accessing work or educational opportunities in the local community.

Exclusion profile

  • Those who pose a risk to others in communal living areas

Pathways

Through our network of healthcare, residential and supported living facilities, we provide unique care pathways which help the people we support to progress towards greater independence. Every individual we support is provided with a bespoke pathway plan, tailored according to their individual needs. We aim to ensure that each person is supported to live a fulfilling and active life in the community. Fern Lodge can also support people who have moved from Priory Hospital Cheadle Royal, as well as other inpatient hospital settings.

Our team

Our highly experienced, multidisciplinary team consists of:

  • Service manager
  • Deputy manager
  • Support workers
  • Senior support workers
  • Nurses
  • Activities co-ordinator
  • Housekeeper
  • Maintenance worker

Our team receive specialist staff training, designed to meet the needs of each individual we support. This includes:

  • Epilepsy awareness and support training
  • Diabetes management training
  • End of life care and support training
  • Mental health support training

Contact us for help, referrals or more information

At Priory, we want to ensure we provide the very best service to each individual we support. Contact us for more information, or to make a referral.

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Watch our video

Residential mental health services video

About the local area

Amenities

Fern Lodge is ideally located in Chester, just a short drive from Liverpool city centre and close to the Welsh border. Nearby amenities include:

  • Supermarket
  • Shops
  • Café
  • Restaurant
  • Pub
  • GP surgery
  • Post office
  • College
  • Park
  • Library
  • Zoo
  • Cinema
  • Sealand retail park
  • Church

Transport links

Fern Lodge also has excellent transport links, including:

  • A bus stop close to the home, providing links across the city and to the railway station
  • A railway station which is a 10-minute walk, 2 minutes by car, and 6 minutes by bus
  • A short drive from the M56, M6, and M53 motorways

A message from our site leader

Fern Lodge aims to provide a pathway to better outcomes, for the people we support

Fern Lodge’s site leader

Comments from our residents and their family and friends

The staff help me to develop my skills such as budgeting and cooking. I feel more independent and am enjoying life
Person supported by Fern Lodge Fern Lodge

Family and friends FAQs

How does home leave work?

We support our residents to attend family events and visit their family homes. Most of the people we support are able to go out independently, although we will provide extra support to those require it, working closely with the resident and their relatives to ensure possible risks are managed and everyone is supported.

Can friends and families visit?

Family and friends are welcome to visit. We do ask that loved ones give advance notice of their visit to both the resident and their staff team, so this can be planned into the diary.

Will I be involved and kept up to date with the progress of my loved one’s care and support?

All our residents have capacity under the Mental Health Act, and make their own decisions. However we would always encourage residents to stay in contact with their relatives. If a relative does have more involvement or is an advocate, we would certainly keep them informed and arrange reviews and consultations on a regular basis.

Will my loved one be able to have a phone or call me?

Everyone who stays with us are supported to call their loved ones any time, via phone or video call. Family and friends are also able to call as often as they like. We have one phone line which can get very busy. We encourage our residents to purchase their own mobile, and our staff team can support where necessary.

What are the bedrooms like?

Bedrooms are all furnished and residents are supported to personalise them to suit their needs and wishes. All of the bedrooms have their own wash room facilities, and everyone has access to the communal facilities, too.

Are external doors kept locked?

We have an open-door policy, meaning that our residents are free to come and go, in line with their individual support plans. For the safety of our residents, our garden at the back is gated with a high fence, security cameras, and lighting out of the property.

What do residents eat and how do meal times work?

We offer a wide range of meals, with a choice of options. Residents, with support from our staff, are all involved in choosing the menu, and are supported to choose and prepare what they want to eat, whenever they like. We encourage people to maintain healthy diets, which also suit their individual tastes.

How does laundry work?

Our team will ensure that residents always have access to clean clothes and bedding, although residents are encouraged to do their own laundry, as part of developing their daily living skills. We have laundry facilities within our utility room, and our staff are on hand to offer support if and when it is required.

Who does the housekeeping and domiciliary tasks?

Staff support and encourage our residents to complete these tasks within their own rooms independently. We also have a dedicated housekeeper and maintenance team at the home, who can help out where it is needed.

Is there anything they can’t bring or have?

Residents are not allowed to bring illegal or harmful substances onto the premises. Given the nature of the service, we also request that no alcohol is brought into the home.

How do activities work?

Activities are planned according to our residents’ choices and interests. Thorough risk assessments are conducted before any activity. Everyone has a tailored activities planner, which will include both in-house activities as well as visits into the community.

How will residents be supported with their behavioural needs?

A traffic light document system is in place for all residents. This is a low-level support service and there are rarely any incidents of behaviours that challenge occurring, that require additional interventions other than a proactive approach.

Do residents and families have an input into the care plans?

Some residents have family involvement, and all our residents have capacity to have input into their own care plans. These are completed alongside our care team, with the full involvement of the individual. Where a person wants their families to be involved, we are happy to support with this.

What are the car parking facilities?

We have some off-road parking available on the driveway, and there is additional on-road parking.

What is the smoking policy?

We don’t permit smoking inside the building. Residents can smoke outside in the designated area, and are able to buy cigarettes or vapes at the shops, if this is what they choose. We allow vaping in their own bedrooms, but not in communal spaces. We do encourage healthy lifestyles, and can support residents with smoking cessation programmes.

What are your fees and how are they funded?

Our fees can vary, and are based on an assessment of each individual's needs. Many people are eligible for financial help towards the cost of support, and this funding can be accessed by contacting your local authority. Once funding has been agreed, we will work with your local care team to put together a bespoke package of care. Please note, referrals for NHS or Local Authority funded services must come from a referring organisation.

How to make a referral

Our service provides high quality support to people with varying levels of need. Referrals can be made through the individual’s social care team or, if relevant, their local health authority. If you are a professional looking to make a referral, please call us or fill in our enquiry form.

Call Us
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Make a referral