Woodlands Care Centre

Woodlands Care Centre is a residential care home providing personal and nursing care to up to 109 people, aged 65 and over in one adapted building. At the time of the inspection there were 100 people living at the service.

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

We received positive feedback about the service provided from people, relatives and staff. One person said, “Staff make sure I have all I need, and I am very content.” Another person said, “I don’t want for anything, I only have to ask.” One relative told us, “Woodlands is the right place for [family member], they are settled, and I have no concerns at all.”

There were enough staff and they were visible around the service and were readily available to support people when needed. We observed kind and caring interactions between staff and the people who lived at the service.

Staff understood the identified risks to people and followed guidance in place to keep them safe.

The service was clean and well maintained. Infection control arrangements were in place to prevent and mitigate the risk of COVID-19. Appropriate protective and personal equipment (PPE) was in place and care staff used this appropriately. The environment was suitable for people living with dementia.

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 21 May 2019).

Why we inspected

The inspection was prompted in part due to concerns received about the safety of people at the service, and staffing levels. A decision was made for us to inspect and examine those risks. We found no evidence during this inspection that people were at risk of harm from this concern. Please see the safe sections of this full report.

The overall rating for the service has not changed following this targeted inspection and remains good.

We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the Safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

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.

Woodlands Care Centre is a residential care home providing personal and nursing care to up to 109 people, aged 65 and over. At the time of the inspection there were 100 people living at the service.

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

Staff knew how to protect people and keep them safe. They had the right skills and knowledge to meet people's needs. Staff understood what signs to look for that could indicate harm may be occurring and how to report their concerns.

Measures were in place to manage the risks of COVID-19 including policies and risk assessments. Staff told us they had access to sufficient PPE and had received training on how to keep themselves, and others, safe from the risks of COVID-19. The provider had robust contingency plans which could be implemented in the event of an outbreak.

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 28 June 2019)

Why we inspected

We undertook this targeted inspection to check on a specific concern we had received about the staffing levels and the safety of the people living at Woodlands Care Centre. The overall rating for the service has not changed following this targeted inspection and remains good.

CQC have introduced targeted inspections to follow up on Warning Notices or to check specific concerns. They do not look at an entire key question, only the part of the key question we are specifically concerned about. Targeted inspections do not change the rating from the previous inspection. This is because they do not assess all areas of a key question.

We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the Safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Woodlands Care Centre on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

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.

We found the following examples of good practice.

The service was only receiving essential visitors at the time of our inspection. Any person entering the building undertook a rapid flow test (RFT), which gives a COVID-19 test result within 30 minutes. Visitors also had their temperature taken, completed a health questionnaire and wore full personal protective

equipment (PPE).

People were supported to keep in touch with friends and relatives through video calling. This included one person being supported to take part in a close relatives funeral via a video call.

The manager told us that they had changed systems within the service to reduce the risk of spread of infection. For example, staff used different entrances into the building to minimise any cross infection.

Whole home testing was carried out on both people and staff.

Cleaning of the home, including frequently touched surfaces, had increased to reduce the risk of transmission of infection. The manager had purchased fogging machines to support the increased scheduled deep cleaning of the building.

Policies in place had been updated with COVID-19 information, which meant that actions to reduce the risk of transmission were taken.

People’s experience of using this service:

People felt safe at Woodlands Care Centre and received care from a staff team who were trained and confident to recognise and report any concerns. Potential risks to people were assessed and minimised and people were encouraged to retain their independence.

There were enough staff to ensure people’s needs were met safely in a way that suited them. Staff worked well together and with external care professionals to ensure people received the care and support they needed.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control in their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible. The policies and systems in the service supported this practice. Staff respected people’s views and people were fully involved in making decisions about their care and support.

People had the choice to participate in a wide range of activities, both inside and outside the service. People were provided with a wide range of meals which they enjoyed. People were provided with the support they required to eat and drink. People lived in a service that was homely and well maintained. People and their dignity and privacy was respected.

People received care from staff who were kind and caring. Staff enjoyed working at the service and knew people well. There was a positive culture within Woodlands Care Centre and the registered manager and staff team were committed to providing a high-quality service for the people who lived there.

Rating at last inspection: Good (report published 10 October 2016)

Why we inspected: This was a planned 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.

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

There was a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People told us that they felt safe living at the home. Staff were knowledgeable about the procedures to ensure that people were protected from harm. Staff were also aware of whistleblowing procedures and would have no hesitation in reporting any concerns. People received their medication as prescribed.

There were sufficient numbers of suitably qualified staff employed at the home. The provider’s recruitment process ensured that only staff who had been deemed suitable to work with people at the home were employed.

The CQC is required by law to monitor the operation of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) and to report on what we find. We found that the registered manager was knowledgeable about when a request for a DoLS application would be required. The registered manager told us that there were applications which had been submitted to the relevant local authorities and they were awaiting the outcome.

Staff respected and maintained people’s privacy. People were provided with care and support as required and people did not have to wait for long periods of time before having their care needs met. This meant that people’s dignity was respected and that their care needs were met in a timely manner.

People’s assessed care and support needs were planned and met by staff who had a good understanding of how and when to provide people’s care whilst respecting their independence. Care records were detailed and up to date so that staff were provided with guidelines to care for people in the right way.

People were supported to access a range of health care professionals. Examples included appointments with their GP and a chiropodist. Risk assessments were in place to ensure that people could be safely supported at all times.

People were provided with a varied menu and had a range of meals and healthy options to choose from. There was a sufficient quantity of food and drinks and snacks made available to people.

People’s care was provided by staff in a respectful, caring, kind and compassionate way. People’s hobbies and interests had been identified and staff supported people to take part in their chosen hobbies and or interests to prevent them from becoming socially isolated.

The home had a complaints procedure available for people and their relatives to use and staff were aware of the procedure. Prompt action was taken to address people’s concerns and prevent any potential for recurrence.

There was an open culture within the home and people were freely able to talk and raise any issues with the registered manager and staff team. People, staff and stakeholders were provided with several ways that they could comment on the quality of their care. This included regular contact with the provider, registered manager, staff and completing annual quality assurance surveys.

We found that care records were current and reflected the needs of people who lived in the home. Staff demonstrated a good understanding and knowledge of the care and support people required.

Safeguarding arrangements ensured that people were being protected and the homes willingness to report concerns had ensured that people were safe.

We found there were arrangements in place for adequate numbers of suitably trained staff employed. This had ensured people received suitable care and support.

We found that there was a system in place to check that people were satisfied with the service and there were various monitoring checks on a number of aspects of the service.

There was an effective system in place to deal with any complaints from people who lived in the home or their relatives.

Written evidence submitted to us since this inspection showed that the provider had taken sufficient action to address our concerns and that satisfactory quality assurance systems were in place to ensure that people received a good service. The provider must now ensure that these improvements are sustained in the long term.

Overall we found that the provider had taken sufficient action to address the shortfalls in relation to medication recording and administration and was now compliant with Regulation 13 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2010, Management of Medicines.

We raised numerous concerns about the service being provided, during our last inspection in July 2012. During this inspection in November 2012 there had been enough improvement for the home to be deemed compliant in five of the seven outcomes we assessed. However, the provider had failed to take action within many of the timescales that they themselves had set and many of the improvements only happened in the few days between our first and second site visits as part of this inspection. This showed that the provider was not fully committed to improving the service for people living at the home in a timely way.

We continued to have moderate concerns about medication recording and management at the home and have issued a warning notice as a result.