The Willows

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 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 made sure people were at the centre of their care and treatment choices and they decided, in partnership with people, how to respond to any relevant changes in people’s needs.

Staff ensured people were at the centre of their care and treatment choices. Care plans were detailed and personalised. Staff worked in partnership with people to respond to any changes in their needs. People told us staff were caring and knew them well. We observed staff supporting people in a kind and respectful way. Relatives told us staff were friendly, kind and considerate and paid attention to peoples’ needs. One person said, “The staff are very receptive here, when you ask for anything, it is never an issue, the communication is excellent, and they are tremendously kind”.

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.

Peoples’ care records were detailed and person-centred, meaning staff had access to good records to help them understand and meet people’s individual needs. People experienced co-ordinated care. Staff worked well with external professionals ensuring care remained responsive to peoples’ changing needs. Staff were proactive when peoples’ needs changed and made timely referrals to professionals. This meant peoples’ needs were met effectively and promptly. External partners told us the team communicated well and followed professional advice. The manager told us they had monthly meetings with relatives. One nurse and one carer were allocated to a person, and they discussed with relatives any changes or concerns that may have happened.

The provider supplied appropriate, accurate and up-to-date information in formats that were tailored to individual needs.

Communication plans were in place and staff understood individual communication preferences. Relatives told us they were kept updated about peoples’ well-being and any changes in their needs. One relative told us, “I had a question about medication, they came and told me everything I needed to know and explained it clearly”.

The provider made it easy for people to share feedback and ideas, or raise complaints about their care, treatment and support. Staff involved people in decisions about their care and told them what had changed as a result.

People and their relatives felt that staff listened to them, surveys were sent out for feedback and any ideas that people had to improve the service were listened to. There was a strong culture of openness throughout the service and people told us they felt listened to by staff and management.

Relatives commented all staff were approachable and responsive to queries and suggestions. There was a robust complaints policy in place. Following receipt of a complaint the registered manager spoke with everyone involved as soon as possible and created action plans where necessary. Relatives were contacted immediately afterwards to ensure outcomes of investigations were clearly communicated. We saw evidence of lessons learnt sessions taking place following resolved complaints.

The provider made sure that people could access the care, support and treatment they needed when they needed it.

Staff understood the importance of ensuring people had access to the right health and social care services and helped them to do this through well planned and documented care.

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.

The provider ensured adaptions were made to group activities to enable everyone to take part including people living with dementia. People had a working and activities care plan that detailed likes and dislikes and the goal for that person. Our observations across both inspection days showed staff were attentive to people’s needs and adapted their approach to ensure people’s individual needs were met.

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.

People who wished to discuss their end-of-life preferences had been supported to do so, and their wishes were clearly documented within their end-of-life care plans. These contained information regarding Do Not Attempt Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (DNACPR) and Advance Care Planning (ACP) recording discussions that had taken place.