Westwood Residential Care Home

Updated 6 March 2024

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

Inspection team

An inspector and an Expert by Experience took part in the inspection process. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Service and service type

Westwood Residential Care Home is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and/or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. Westwood Residential Care Home is a care home without nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

Inspection activity started on 10 January 2024 and ended on 23 January 2024. We visited the service on 10 January 2024 and 11 January 2024.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with 7 people living at the home and 7 relatives about their experience of care provided by Westwood Residential Care Home. We observed interactions with people and the care they received. This helped us understand the experiences of people with limited communication. We reviewed care records for 4 people and checked medication administration, storage and recording systems.

We spoke with 8 members of staff including the nominated individual, the registered manager, senior care staff, a domestic, members of the activities team and care staff. The nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider. We reviewed recruitment information for 4 staff, training matrices and competence checks.

We looked at records relating to health and safety; such as fire safety information, testing records and servicing documents. We checked the environment, equipment, and cleanliness to ensure the home was safe and fit for purpose.

We remotely reviewed information relating to the management of the service such as policies, meeting minutes and survey results. We sought additional clarification from the registered manager via email.

Updated 6 March 2024

About the service

Westwood Residential Care Home provides accommodation for persons who require personal care. The service can provide support for up to 20 people, including older people and younger adults. At the time of our inspection, there were 19 people using the service.

The property is set over 3 floors with lift access to the upper floors. There were several communal areas and a small rear garden. Aids and adaptations were in place to meet people’s individual needs.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

Though people said they felt safe; some systems and processes to monitor and manage fire safety, health and safety and infection prevention and control (IPC) were not robust. Concerns regarding medication storage and recording systems were identified, which we have asked the provider to review. We received positive feedback about staffing levels, and recruitment processes were safe. People were safeguarded from the risk of abuse, and the provider learnt lessons from incidents, accidents and safeguarding concerns.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

Staff received an induction and a good level of support from the management team. However, we raised concerns in relation to the frequency of training; and lack of training around people’s individual needs, including mandatory learning disability training. Care records were detailed, though we found some inconsistent information around people’s dietary needs. Improvements to the home’s environment were being made when resources allowed, but signage could be improved to help support independence and well-being for people living with dementia. People commented positively about their experience of care delivered. One person said, “I am very well supported. I regard this as my real home now.”

Though audits and checks were in place, these were not fully embedded and had failed to identify concerns raised during inspection. The registered manager acknowledged areas of development within monitoring systems and spoke about improvement plans. We observed a happy atmosphere and positive interactions, and feedback about the culture and the registered manager was good. A relative told us, “The home is well run. Staff are friendly and work together. Some have been here years which is a sign they enjoy working at the home. The manager is very helpful and friendly.” People, their relatives and staff had regular opportunities to give feedback and timely action was taken in response to concerns raised.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Rating at last inspection and update

The last rating for this service was requires improvement (published 30 December 2019). The service remains requires improvement. This service has been rated requires improvement for 2 consecutive inspections.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Westwood Residential Care Home on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Previous breaches and recommendations

At our last inspection we found that security at the premises was unsafe and placed people at risk of harm. At this inspection we found those specific concern had been rectified.

At the last inspection, we also made a recommendation about staff training. Adequate improvements had not been made. Please see ‘safe’ section of this report for more details.

Why we inspected

The inspection was prompted in part by notification of an incident following which a person using the service died. This incident is subject to further investigation by CQC as to whether any regulatory action should be taken. As a result, this inspection did not examine the circumstances of the incident. However, the information shared with CQC about the incident indicated potential concerns about care and treatment; and seeking medical attention in a timely manner. This inspection examined those risks.

The provider has taken appropriate action to mitigate these risks.

For those key questions not inspected, we used the ratings awarded at the last inspection to calculate the overall rating. The overall rating for the service has remained requires improvement based on the findings of this inspection.

We have found evidence that the provider needs to make improvements. Please see ‘safe’, ‘effective’ and ‘well-led’ sections of this full report.

Enforcement and Recommendations

We identified breaches in relation to safe care and treatment, and good governance. We made a recommendation in relation to storage and recording of medication.

Please see the action we have told the provider to take at the end of this report.

Follow up

We will request an action plan from the provider to understand what they will do to improve the standards of quality and safety. We will work alongside the provider to monitor progress. We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.