Willow Grange Care Home

Updated 25 June 2025

Willow Grange is a care home for up to 46 people, some of whom have a diagnosis of dementia.

People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises, and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection. At the time of our inspection 36 people were living at the service.

The inspection included an unannounced visit to the service which took place on 15 and an announced visit on 17 July 2025.

This inspection was prompted in part by a notification of an incident following which a service user died. This incident was investigated and reported on by the Coroner, who issued a Regulation 28 Prevention of Future Deaths report requesting the provider took additional action in order to ensure the safety of other residents at the home. During this inspection, we looked for assurances that the service had complied with the requirements of the Coroner’s Regulation 28 report. We found, on the whole, that they had, but the inspection identified some areas for improvement. The registered manager was responsive to all feedback during the inspection and took immediate action to address the concerns raised.

People were protected, kept safe and cared for by a group of staff who knew them well. Staff understood and managed risks and were aware of lessons that had been learnt following a serious incident. People’s healthcare needs were met and the service had positive relationships with other healthcare professionals. Staff felt supported and well trained. We raised a number of concerns regarding the care environment with the provider and they responded to these promptly. Staff managed medicines well.

People’s care needs were regularly reviewed, and good communication systems were in place across the home.

Policies and procedures had been updated but had not been robustly reviewed to ensure out of date or incorrect information was removed. Audits in place had not identified the areas for improvement found during the inspection.

The registered manager was highly thought of by both people living at the service, their loved ones and the staff group as a whole. They were described as supportive and approachable.

Updated 25 June 2025

As part of our inspection, we spoke with 8 people living at the service and 7 relatives about the care they received. We also spoke with 2 healthcare professionals and the GP who supported the home. We used the 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 to us.

People told us they felt safe and supported by staff who knew them well and we observed people go to staff for comfort and support. They felt they could raise any concerns they may have and would be listened to. People and their loved ones were involved in the pre-assessment processes and their views were gathered through surveys and ‘resident of the day’ monthly reviews.

People had no concerns about their living environment, but it was noted in feedback surveys that comments had been made regarding the tiredness of some areas of the home. People told us their rooms were cleaned regularly, and they had no concerns regarding infection control.

People reported they received their medicines as prescribed and that staff knew their healthcare needs and supported them to receive and attend healthcare appointments. They told us they were happy with the care they received, and staff obtained their consent prior to supporting them. People spoke highly of the registered manager and staff team and told us they were approachable and supportive.