Archived: Westwood Court

Updated 16 July 2016

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, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

The inspection was unannounced and took place on the 29 April 2016.The inspection was carried out by one adult social care inspector.

Before the inspection, the registered provider completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.

Prior to the inspection we contacted the local authority quality monitoring and safeguarding teams who did not raise any concerns.

During the inspection we spoke with four people using the service and three people’s relatives. We also spoke with seven members of staff including the registered manager and two visiting professionals who did not raise any concerns about the quality of the service.

We completed a short observational framework for inspection (SOFI). SOFI is a way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us. We looked at records relating to the management of the service, including records relating to monies being kept by the registered provider of people’s behalf.

Updated 16 July 2016

The inspection was unannounced and took place on the 29 April 2016.

Westwood court is a care home with nursing located in the town of Winsford, which is situated in Cheshire. The service provides nursing support and accommodation to people living with dementia, and people with mental health needs.

There was a manager in post within the service, who was 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 were aware of how to report their concerns. The registered provider had a whistleblowing policy in place, which staff were familiar with. Whistleblowing is where staff are able to report any concerns, either to the registered provider or to an external agency, without fear of reprisals.

People told us that they felt their finances were safe. The registered manager had a robust system in place for monitoring people’s finances and ensuring that it was kept secure. Where people were supported to go shopping by staff, a record of itemised receipts was kept, which were signed by staff so there was a clear audit trail to follow up on any identified discrepancies. A detailed log of money taken out and returned was also maintained as part of this process.

There were sufficient numbers of staff on duty to meet the needs of people using the service. Rotas indicated that staffing numbers were consistent, and people told us that they did not have to wait long to be supported by staff. Staff told us that they did not feel rushed, and we observed staff spending time chatting with people.

People were supported to take their medication as prescribed. Medication review records (MAR) were signed by staff to indicate that people had taken their medication. Medicines were appropriately stored in a secure room, and those medicines that needed to be kept chilled were kept in a designated medication fridge. Room and fridge temperatures were monitored to ensure that medication remained at the correct temperature.

Staff had been supported to undertake the training they needed to enable them to carry out their role effectively. Training records indicated that staff had completed training in areas such as safe administration of medication, the Mental Capacity Act 2005, infection control and moving and handling. New staff were required to complete the care certificate as part of their induction. The care certificate outlines a national set of minimum standards for care and support staff.

People received the support they needed to protect them from the risk of malnutrition. People told us that they enjoyed the food that was available, and we saw examples of staff helping people to eat their food where they needed support. Appropriate options were available to people who required a special diet, for example pureed or diabetic options. There was a menu on display in the dining area which used photographs of the food options available, to help people who could not read to make a visual choice.

Staff treated people with dignity and respect. Staff ensured that people’s doors were closed whilst they were being supported to attend to their personal care needs. Some people had also been supported to put locks on their doors to ensure that their privacy was maintained. The registered manager had ensured that there was a process in place to access their room if required, for example in the event of ill health or an emergency.

People had been able to choose the décor for their rooms, or where appropriate had been supported by their relatives to do so. One relative told us that they had been given the money to choose some wall paper and a new blind. People’s rooms were clean and people told us that they were comfortable.

Care records contained personalised information about people’s likes, dislikes and their preferences. Records also contained detailed and up-to-date information around their physical and mental health needs. This enabled staff to get to know people they were supporting, and offer support that was appropriate to meet their needs.

People told us that they knew how to make a complaint and would feel confident in doing so. The registered manager kept a record of complaints and compliments that had been received, which evidenced that he had responded to these in a timely manner.

People, their relatives and staff told us that they knew and liked the registered manager and felt that he was approachable. The registered manager was visible and spent time talking to people using the service to ascertain their views. The registered provider had sought feedback from people and their relatives, the results of which suggested that people were happy with the service being provided.

Quality audits were carried out by the registered manager to ensure that the quality of the service was being maintained. These focussed on areas such as care records, staff conduct and people’s medicines. Action was taken to follow up on areas that required attention.