Westmorland Court Nursing and Residential Home

On this page

• Overview
• Person-centred Care
• Care provision, Integration and continuity
• Providing Information
• Listening to and involving people
• Equity in access
• Equity in experiences and outcomes
• Planning for the future

Responsive – this means we looked for evidence that the provider met people’s needs.

At our last assessment we rated this key question Good. At this assessment the rating has remained Good. This meant people’s needs were met through good organisation and delivery.

This service scored 68 (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 did not always make sure people were at the centre of their care and treatment choices and they did not always work in partnership with people, to decide how to respond to any relevant changes in people’s needs.

While people felt they received person-centred care, we found people’s care plans did not always include enough information about their individual needs, risks and preferences about their care.We observed examples where people were not supported effectively with their nutritional needs or with their continence care.

The provider understood the diverse health and care needs of people and their local communities, so care was joined-up, flexible and supported choice and continuity.

Staff understood the importance of working closely with a range of other agencies including GP practices, specialist nurses, speech and language therapy and social workers.

One staff member told us, “We know people’s needs and refer to community partners when we need to. We ensure people who are at high risk of choking, receive their food and drinks in the right consistency.”

One professional visiting the service told us, “When we speak with staff, they are knowledgeable about people’s needs and the effects of communication in managing their needs.

The provider supplied appropriate, accurate and up-to-date information in formats that were tailored to individual needs. Staff understood people’s communication methods and styles and gave information in a way which meets people’s communication needs.

We saw staff communicate with people in an appropriate way, speaking clearly and allowing people time to respond, where required.

The provider made it easy for people to share feedback and ideas, or raise complaints about their care, treatment and support.

We saw evidence of the registered manager responding to and acting on complaints in a timely way and using the duty of candour.

Residents and relative’s meetings took place in which people were able to give feedback about the service and concerns were acted upon. Staff updated people on actions taken following these meetings. People told us they felt listened to. One relative told us, “We have been asked lots about [person] and have just completed a questionnaire. The home has picked up on an issue my [person] had from day one. This is being dealt with.” Another relative told us, “I do feel I can make suggestions rather than complain. The staff will always lend an ear.”

The provider did not always make sure that people could access the care, support and treatment they needed when they needed it.

Some staff felt the structure of the building and the number of staff impacted on their ability to support people in a timely way.

Staff told us the structure of the building sometimes prevented people from accessing care and support when they needed it. However, mobility aids and specialist equipment were made available to people where required.

Staff and leaders actively listened to information about people who are most likely to experience inequality in experience or outcomes and tailored their care, support and treatment in response to this.

Staff had undertaken equality and diversity training, and staff were observed communicating with people respecting their own unique backgrounds and experiences.

People were supported to plan for important life changes, so they could have enough time to make informed decisions about their future, including at the end of their life.

Care plans included information about people’s end-of-life preferences and staff had received training in good end-of-life care. One professional visiting the service told us, “I support the home with developing care plans around end-of-life care.”

We saw examples of compliments from relatives about how staff supported people at the end of their lives. One staff member told us, “We really care about the people we support and try to be there for their relatives in the moments at the end of their lives. It can be hard as we form attachments with our residents.”