Westgate House Care Centre

Updated 17 February 2022

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.

As part of CQC’s response to care homes with outbreaks of COVID-19, we are conducting reviews to ensure that the Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) practice is safe and that services are compliant with IPC measures. This was a targeted inspection looking at the IPC practices the provider has 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 08 February 2022 and was unannounced.

Updated 17 February 2022

About the service

Westgate House Care Centre is a purpose-built residential care home providing personal and nursing care to 94 people aged 65 and over at the time of the inspection. The service can support up to 109 people.

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

People who used the service, their relatives and the staff team all told us the service was exceptionally well-led. Relatives praised the staff and management for the care provided and the positive impact it had for people and peace of mind for relatives. We saw many examples where the management ethos and leadership enhanced people’s feeling of safety and wellbeing. The management team had excellent oversight of the way the home operated and nurtured the staff team to take ownership and have pride in the care they delivered.

The management team demonstrated an open and candid approach when improvements were identified. Staff felt listened to, their opinions were valued, and they felt truly supported both as staff members and as individuals. The provider’s robust quality assurance systems promoted high quality care and helped to ensure that people received a safe and effective service that was caring and met all their needs with a holistic approach. The registered manager maintained a strong influence on people receiving excellent care and support by ensuring reflective practice opportunities were provided for staff. These were very effective in putting actions in place and learning into daily practice.

People felt safe living at Westgate House Care Centre and were protected from the risk of abuse. Staff were trained in recognising and reporting any concerns. The provider operated a robust recruitment procedure to help ensure staff were suitable to work at the home. There were enough skilled and competent staff on duty to meet the needs of the people using the service. Risks to people’s health and wellbeing were assessed and their care was planned to remove or reduce the level of risk. People received their medicines from staff who were skilled, and competency assessed to safely administer medicines. The environment was pleasant and bright creating a clean and fresh place for people to live.

People's needs were assessed so that they could receive the care and support they needed. Staff received training needed to support people's differing needs. People were supported to eat and drink a balanced diet which met their needs and individual preferences. People were supported to maintain good health and prompt referrals were made to external professionals when health needs changed, or people became unwell. 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.

People were treated with compassion, kindness and respect. People’s relatives complimented staff for their empathy and support, both for the person and for their families when people reached end of life. The registered manager consulted with people and staff about decisions made in the home, it was clear that any changes made were centred around, and driven by, people’s wishes, health and wellbeing.

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

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was good (published 07 July 2017).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up

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