Westgate House

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 79 (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.

Care plans were person-centred and reflected people’s individual needs. People and their families were involved in decisions about their care, and the plans were reviewed with them. Plans included information about people’s likes and life histories. Each person had their own en-suite bedroom, which contained personal possessions such as family photographs. Staff were attentive and responded warmly when people needed support. People appeared relaxed and comfortable during their interactions with staff. We observed people reaching out to staff, affectionately squeezing their hands and, on occasion, hugging them.

A professional told us, “Staff appeared to know people as individuals and understood their needs. I witnessed a supportive, person-centred approach that emphasised people’s wellbeing rather than only meeting their basic needs.”

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.

Handovers played a key role in ensuring information was shared effectively across the staff team. Managers met when concerns arose to review the information available and agree the most appropriate course of action.

People’s care and wellbeing were reviewed during weekly GP visits. Decisions were made about whether referrals to other specialists were required.

A professional told us, “The manager provided relevant updates during professional visits and escalated concerns promptly, particularly when additional resources were required.”

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

Some people living at the service did not speak English as their first language. The manager told us the staff team was diverse and included staff who spoke the same languages as some people living at the service. This supported people to communicate effectively.

Each person had a folder in their room containing information about the services they received and those available to them while living at the home. This included information about leisure activities, hairdressing and chiropody visits.

The home provided information about the food available each day. Menus offering a range of options were displayed outside each dining area and placed on dining tables.

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.

We observed a meeting for people living at the service on the day of our inspection. Minutes from previous meetings included action plans that recorded how the service had responded to requests made by people.

The manager told us meetings were held for people who used the service and their relatives. They explained the importance of involving families to gain a comprehensive understanding of each person’s wellbeing. The provider also held meetings for relatives by video call, which enabled them to participate remotely.

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

People had access to a range of services, including healthcare professionals when appropriate. The home had a hairdressing room, and a hairdresser visited regularly. The manager told us people could choose to use this service or visit a community-based hairdresser if they preferred. The service arranged a range of events; for example, a cheese and wine event was advertised during our assessment. The service also had a cinema room where films were shown.

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.

We found that timely referrals had been made to a range of healthcare professionals to support people to achieve positive health outcomes. For example, people who experienced difficulties with eating or swallowing had been referred to the Speech and Language Therapy (SALT) team.

Training records showed that staff had access to equality and diversity training and understood people’s right to be treated fairly and equally. Staff also had access to a wide range of training, including courses designed to support them to meet the needs of older people and help them achieve positive outcomes.

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.

Advance care plans were in place to support people to plan for the future, including their end-of-life care. Plans were detailed and clearly recorded people’s wishes. Where applicable, end-of-life care plans included person-specific information about practices that reflected people’s cultural beliefs and wishes.

People’s wishes about whether cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) should be attempted, if required, had been discussed and recorded.