Woodside Hall Nursing Home

Updated 24 October 2018

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.

This inspection took place on 7 and 12 September 2018 and was unannounced. It was completed by one inspector, a specialist advisor in nursing care and an expert by experience. An expert by experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Before the inspection we reviewed information we had received about the service, including previous inspection reports and notifications. Notifications are information about specific important events the service is legally required to send to us. We also considered information the provider sent us in the Provider Information Return. This is information we require providers to send us at least once annually to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.

We spoke with 13 people who used the service and eight family members or friends of people who used the service. We spoke with the registered manager, the provider’s nominated individual, a director of the provider, four registered nurses, seven care staff, an activities coordinator, an administrative assistant, a maintenance worker, kitchen staff and two housekeepers. We received feedback from two health care professionals who had contact with the service.

We looked at care plans and associated records for six people and records relating to the management of the service, including: quality monitoring audits, duty rosters, staff recruitment files, accident and incident records and maintenance records.

We observed care and support being delivered in communal areas of the home.

Updated 24 October 2018

This inspection took place on 7 and 12 September 2018 and was unannounced.

Woodside hall Nursing Home is a 'care home.' People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection. The home is registered to provide accommodation and nursing or personal care for up to 41 people and there were 38 people living at the home at the time of the inspection. Woodside hall Nursing Home is a detached property in a rural location. It is an older residential property which has been extended and adapted to be suitable as a care home providing nursing care. There were two passenger lifts so people can access the first floor and corridors had sloping floors rather than steps for those with mobility needs. All bedrooms were single rooms and most had a en suite shower room or en suite WC. Communal areas included three lounges and two dining rooms. An enclosed courtyard garden was fully accessible for people and extensive gardens surround much of the property.

At our last inspection we rated the service Good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the overall rating of Good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

People and visitors found staff to be exceptionally kind and caring. People were encouraged to take part in decisions about their care and support and their views were listened to. Staff respected people's individuality, privacy, dignity and independence. The home had an open, friendly atmosphere in which people, visitors and staff were encouraged to make their views and opinions known.

The provider had arrangements in place to protect people from risks to their safety and welfare.

Arrangements were also in place to store medicines safely and to administer them according to people's needs and preferences. People were supported to access healthcare services, such as GPs and community nursing teams. At the end of their lives people received the care they required to remain comfortable and pain free.

Staffing levels enabled people to be supported safely and in a calm, professional manner. Recruitment processes were followed to make sure only workers who were suitable to work in a care setting were employed. Staff received appropriate training and supervision to make sure they had the skills and knowledge to support people to the required standard.

Staff were aware of the need to gain people's consent to their care and support. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. The arrangements included processes and procedures to protect people from the risk of abuse.

People were supported to eat and drink enough to maintain their health and welfare. They could make choices about their food and drink, and meals were prepared appropriately where people had particular dietary needs.

Care and support were based on plans which considered people's needs and conditions, as well as their abilities and preferences. Care plans were adapted as people's needs changed, and were reviewed regularly.

People could take part in leisure activities which reflected their interests and provided a high level of mental and physical stimulation. Group and individual activities were available if people wished to take part.

Systems were in place to make sure the service was managed efficiently and to monitor and assess the quality of service provided. The provider acted where these systems found improvements could be made.