Willow House

On this page

• Overview
• Assessing needs
• Delivering evidence-based care and treatment
• How staff, teams and services work together
• Supporting people to live healthier lives
• Monitoring and improving outcomes
• Consent to care and treatment

Effective – this means we looked for evidence that people’s care, treatment and support achieved good outcomes and promoted a good quality of life, based on best available evidence. At our last assessment we rated this key question as good. At this assessment the rating has remained as good. This meant people’s outcomes were consistently good, and people’s feedback confirmed this.

This service scored 75 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

The provider assessed and regularly reviewed people’s health, care, wellbeing and communication needs. We reviewed care records which demonstrated that people’s needs had been assessed comprehensively and care plans reflected their individual needs, preferences and the support they required. Assessments and care plans were updated when people’s needs changed.

People and those important to them were involved in reviewing care and support where appropriate.

Staff demonstrated a good understanding of people’s assessed needs, including their health, communication and personal care needs. This helped ensure care remained appropriate and responsive to changes in people’s circumstances.

The provider supported staff to deliver care and treatment in line with current good practice. Staff completed training relevant to their roles and to the individual needs of people living at the service. Training was kept under review and staff received updates to help maintain their knowledge and skills.

Staff worked with healthcare professionals and followed professional advice and guidance when supporting people’s health needs. Care plans contained information about people’s health conditions and the support staff needed to provide. Policies and procedures were also available to guide staff practice and were reviewed to reflect relevant guidance.

The provider had systems to support staff to work effectively together and with other professionals involved in people’s care. Staff shared relevant information about people’s needs and worked with health and social care professionals when additional advice, treatment or support was required.

Relatives described staff supporting people to access external healthcare services. One relative told us, “They take [person] to the hospital.”

Staff demonstrated an understanding of when they needed to seek support from other services and followed professional guidance relating to people’s care and treatment.

The provider supported people to maintain and improve their physical health and wellbeing. Records demonstrated that one person had been supported to restart medication which was important to their health after they had not taken it for several months before moving to the service.

Staff supported people to access healthcare services and encouraged healthier lifestyles in ways that reflected people’s preferences. People who wanted to participate were supported to take part in activities such as going to the park and attending the gym.

Staff monitored people’s health needs and sought advice from healthcare professionals when required.

The provider monitored people’s health, wellbeing and care needs to identify changes and assess whether support remained effective. Records demonstrated that care plans and risk assessments were reviewed and updated when people’s needs changed. Staff used incident reports, ABC charts and behavioural monitoring tools to identify patterns, triggers and emerging risks, enabling support strategies to be reviewed and adapted. Where risks increased, management plans were updated with revised proactive and reactive interventions, and input from relevant professionals was sought to help improve outcomes for people. This demonstrated an ongoing approach to monitoring and learning rather than relying solely on periodic reviews.

The provider supported people to be involved in decisions about their care and treatment. Staff took account of people’s individual communication needs and used appropriate methods, including visual information, to help people understand choices and express their preferences.

Staff understood their responsibilities under the Mental Capacity Act 2005. Care records included mental capacity assessments where required and, where people were unable to make particular decisions, best-interest processes were followed. Relatives or representatives were involved where appropriate.

All people living at the service were subject to Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) authorisations. Staff understood the restrictions in place and the importance of supporting people in the least restrictive way while maintaining their safety and rights.

Staff understood the importance of seeking consent before providing care. One member of staff told us, “I ask for consent every time and respect their decisions.”