Woodley House Limited

Updated 9 January 2021

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 care homes with outbreaks of coronavirus, we are conducting reviews to ensure that the Infection Prevention and Control practice was safe and the service was compliant with IPC measures. This was a targeted inspection looking at the IPC practices the provider has in place.

This inspection took place on 1 December 2020 and was unannounced.

Updated 9 January 2021

About the service: Woodley Court is a residential care home for people with a learning disability. At the time of the inspection, 16 people were living at the service. Although this is larger than current best practice guidance, the impact on people was mitigated by the fact that accommodation was provided in three houses; the cottage, the bungalow and the main house. There were deliberately no identifying signs, intercom, cameras, industrial bins or anything else outside to indicate it was a care home. The accommodation was built around a large central courtyard which was secure and well maintained. Each building was accessible from the courtyard. This meant that people were able to move from building to building and to interact with one another when they chose.

People’s experience of using this service:

People were relaxed and happy with staff and showed by their actions , they trusted them. We saw reminders for staff that were centred on improving people’s experience and staff were encouraged to plan holidays and activities for people in a timely way. The outcomes for people using the service reflected the principles and values of Registering the Right Support in that people were involved in the local community and staff promoted individual choice.

People continued to be safe at the service. Staff completed risk assessments and people were supported to stay safe, whilst not unnecessarily restricting their freedom. Staff reported incidents and accidents and they were investigated and reviewed, to reduce the risk of them happening again. Medicines were managed effectively and safely.

Staff were knowledgeable about people’s care and support needs and received training to maintain their knowledge and skills. Care plans contained detailed information about each person’s individual support needs and preferences in relation to their care and we found evidence of good outcomes for people. When people did not have the capacity to make their own decisions, staff maximised their involvement and made decisions in their best interests, in accordance with legislation.

Staff were caring in their approach and protected people’s privacy, dignity and promoted their independence. People were treated equally, without discrimination and information was presented to them in a way they could understand.

People continued to receive a service that was responsive to their individual needs and preferences. Most people had complex needs and staff involved other professionals, to ensure they gained a full understanding of the factors influencing each person and further developed an individualised approach to their care. They had access to a range of activities and were encouraged to participate in events in the local community.

The registered manager, deputy manager and staff were open and committed to learning and improving the service further. They monitored the care provided and had an action plan outlining the improvements they were working on. A example of a recent improvement was the refurbishment of the central courtyard that provided a pleasant place for people to spend time and chat with others.

Rating at last inspection: Good (report published September 2016)

Why we inspected: This was a scheduled inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up: We will continue to monitor intelligence we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If any concerning information is received we may inspect sooner.