Woodlands Care Home

On this page

• Overview
• Learning culture
• Safe systems, pathways and transitions
• Safeguarding
• Involving people to manage risks
• Safe environments
• Safe and effective staffing
• Infection prevention and control
• Medicines optimisation

Safe – this means we looked for evidence that people were protected from abuse and avoidable harm.

At our last assessment we rated this key question requires improvement. At this assessment the rating has changed to good. This meant people were safe and protected from avoidable harm.

This service scored 72 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

We did not look at Learning culture during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Safe.

We did not look at Safe systems, pathways and transitions during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Safe.

We did not look at Safeguarding during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Safe.

The provider worked with people to understand and manage risks by thinking holistically. Staff provided care to meet people’s needs that was safe, supportive and enabled people to do the things that mattered to them.

We found improvements had been made since our last inspection in October 2025. People’s risks were assessed, and care plans had been improved to include detail about how staff should support them to manage identified risks safely. People’s care records were regularly reviewed and updated to reflect people’s changing needs, where appropriate. Where people had specific health needs which placed them at risk of harm, care records had been updated and the risks relating to the condition had been considered.

For example, where people were at risk of developing pressure injuries, records demonstrated people had been repositioned in-line with their assessed need. Where people were at risk of constipation, care plans contained clear guidance to guide and support staff in the management of constipation. This included detailed information in relation to what medicines had been prescribed, when to give these and frequency, and what a normal bowel pattern was for the person.

Where people had allergies, records demonstrated in-depth information to support and guide staff on what they needed to do in the event of an emergency. Feedback from a relative included, “[Family member] has severe food allergies, which requires major adaptions.All of the Woodlands team were trained in how to prevent a food allergy incident and how to respond if one occurs. Unannounced scenario-based training exercises were also delivered to assess how these systems and training would work in practice and to improve team preparedness and confidence.”

The provider detected and controlled potential risks in the care environment. They made sure equipment, facilities and technology supported the delivery of safe care.

We found improvements had been made since our last inspection in October 2025.

The provider now had effective arrangements in place to maintain a safe environment, such as water safety and fire safety. Regular health and safety checks were completed, and the maintenance team demonstrated robust systems for monitoring and addressing environmental risks. Records showed these checks were undertaken consistently and were overseen by the management team.

The provider’s processes for monitoring the safe use of bedrails did not provide sufficient guidance to support staff to comply with relevant Health and Safety Executive guidance. The provider took immediate action to address the shortfalls we identified by ensuring sufficient guidance was available for the staff completing these safety checks.

We did not look at Safe and effective staffing during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Safe.

We did not look at Infection prevention and control during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Safe.

The provider did not always make sure that medicines and treatments were safe and met people’s needs, capacities and preferences. Since our last inspection in October 2025, improvements had been made to medicines management. However, during this inspection we identified some shortfalls which had the potential to place people at risk.

We found the medicines trolley in the lounge was unlocked and easily accessible, creating a risk that medicines could be accessed by people who should not have access to them. We immediately raised this with the management team, who secured the trolley. However, on a separate occasion we found the trolley unlocked again. The management team investigated and identified that the lock was faulty and instructed the maintenance team to repair it. The provider took immediate action to address the risk and added the issue to their audit system.

Whilst we saw dates of opening were recorded on liquid medicines, the discard dates were not. Although we found no evidence of harm or impact on people, this created a risk that medicines could be used beyond the manufacturer's recommended period after opening, which could affect their safety and effectiveness. The provider took immediate steps to address this concern.

People's records showed they received their medicines as prescribed. There were suitable arrangements for the ordering, storage and disposal of medicines, including medicines requiring refrigeration and those requiring additional security. Fridge temperatures were monitored to ensure medicines requiring cold storage remained within the recommended temperature range and were safe and effective to use. Where medicines were prescribed to be given 'when required', protocols and care plans were in place to guide staff about when these medicines should be administered.