Archived: Westonia Court

At the last inspection, the service was rated Good.

At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

People using the service felt safe. Staff had received training to enable them to recognise signs and symptoms of abuse and felt confident in how to report them.

People had risk assessments in place to enable them to be as independent as they could be whilst remaining safe. Staff knew how to manage risks to promote people’s safety, and balanced these against people’s rights to take risks and remain independent.

There were sufficient staff, with the correct skill mix, on duty to support people with their needs.

Effective recruitment processes were in place and followed by the service. Staff were not offered employment until satisfactory checks had been completed. Staff received an induction process and on-going training. They had attended a variety of training to ensure they were able to provide care based on current practice when supporting people. They were supported with regular supervisions.

Medicines were managed safely. The processes in place ensured that the administration and handling of medicines was suitable for the people who used the service.

People were supported to make decisions about all aspects of their life; this was underpinned by the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards. Staff were knowledgeable about this guidance and correct processes were in place to protect people. Staff gained consent before supporting people.

People were able to make choices about the food and drink they had, and staff gave support when required to enable people to access a balanced diet.

People were supported to access a variety of health professional when required to make sure they received continuing healthcare to meet their needs.

Staff provided care and support in a caring and meaningful way. They knew the people who used the service well. People and relatives, where appropriate, were involved in the planning of their care and support.

People’s privacy and dignity was maintained at all times.

People were supported to follow their interests and join in activities of their choice.

People knew how to complain. There was a complaints procedure in place which was accessible to all. Complaint had been responded to appropriately.

Quality monitoring systems were in place. A variety of audits were carried out and used to drive improvement.

Further information is in the detailed findings below

We noted the provider liaised with other professionals to ensure people's needs were met safely. People were supported by staff to attend appointments which meant their health needs were managed effectively.

Staff were aware of the infection control policy and protocols they should follow. This meant that there were effective systems in place to ensure the environment was clean and hygienic.

Medicines were administered effectively and we found that the systems in place supported staff to record medicines given appropriately.

The premises at Westonia Court were safe and appropriate for the people who lived there. We saw that people's flats had been decorated according to their personal preferences. This demonstrated that people were listened to and respected as individuals.

People were supported to raise concerns and complaints in a variety of ways and provided with information on how to complain in an accessible format. We saw from care records that staff took all concerns seriously.

We spoke with three people who told us they enjoyed living there and felt supported by staff. One person said 'it's lovely'. Another person said 'The staff are good'. When we arrived, most people were getting ready to attend the adult life long learning centre run by the provider. We observed staff speaking respectfully with people and allowing them time to make decisions for themselves without being rushed. One person was going into the town with a member of staff after a medical appointment, and another person was going on a train journey with a staff member: both activities had been chosen by the people individually.

We spoke with one of the three members of staff on duty who told us they felt supported in their role and received training and supervision to assist this. We were told staff could ask for additional training in an area of interest or relevant for their role, and this would be considered and where possible arranged.