Westwood Hall Nursing Home

Updated 25 February 2022

Background

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

As part of CQC’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic we are looking at how services manage infection control and visiting arrangements. This was a targeted inspection looking at the infection prevention and control measures the provider had in place. We also asked the provider about any staffing pressures the service was experiencing and whether this was having an impact on the service.

This inspection took place on 11 February 2022 and was announced. We gave the service 24 hours notice of the inspection.

Updated 25 February 2022

At the last inspection the service was rated Good. At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

The inspection was unannounced and took place on the 12 and 14 November 2018. At the last inspection carried out in June 2016, we identified a breach of Regulation 12 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. This was because of Medication Administration Records (MAR) not being completed at all times and the safe storage of medication. Temperature records for the medication rooms and medication fridge temperatures were not taken to ensure medication was stored at a safe temperature for the people living at the home. Actions had been implemented and audits completed to ensure the medication procedure was completed effectively by staff.

Westwood Hall Nursing Home is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

The service is registered to accommodate up to 52 people, there were 42 people living at the home at the time of our inspection. Westwood Hall Nursing Home is situated in Brimstage, Wirral and has large gardens surrounding the home. The building has two floors with two lifts to access the first floor.

The service is run by a manager who is registered with the CQC. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People were protected from the risk of abuse. Staff had received training in safeguarding vulnerable people and knew how to report their concerns to the local authority.

People were supported to take their medication as prescribed. Medication audits were carried out on a monthly basis to help identify and address any issues. Medication records were being signed appropriately by staff and controlled drugs were being stored securely as required by law.

Staff had received the training they needed to carry out their role effectively. New staff were supported to gain the necessary skills and qualifications and shadowed experienced staff to gain knowledge of the role. Staff spoken with and records seen confirmed training had been provided to enable them to care and support people with their specific needs. We found staff were knowledgeable about the care and support needs of people in their care. We saw that individuality was encouraged and supported and people were able to express themselves in the way that they chose and that their well-being was enhanced by this support.

Everyone we spoke with, spoke positively about the registered manager and the staff. We observed positive interactions between people and staff.

There was a complaints procedure at the home and we were told by people and relatives that they were aware of how to make a complaint and all would talk to the manager. There was information on how to make a complaint on a notice board in the reception area.

Care plans were person centred and completed with the people who lived in the home, their family members and any professionals involved in their care. They detailed how people wished and needed to be cared for. They were regularly reviewed and updated as required.

The registered manager understood the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). This meant they were working within the law to support people who may lack capacity to make their own decisions. We saw that people were supported to make their own decisions and their choices were respected and at all times the least restrictive option was taken.

People were supported to maintain good health and the registered manager ensured nursing staff were competent in providing their healthcare. Care records showed that staff sought the input of health and social care professionals when needed.

People told us they enjoyed the food served at the home. Care records showed staff had given consideration to people’s nutritional needs and diabetic diets were catered to.

We identified that some governance procedures to assess and monitor the quality of the home were not documented. The registered manager was clearly very 'hands on' in their approach and took an active role in the daily lives of all the people using the service but admitted this sometimes meant that paperwork was not always checked effectively. The registered manager acknowledged that at times, due to not having the support of a deputy manager, completion of monitoring records was delayed.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.