Archived: Willow House

During our visit on 27 August 2013 we found that people had clear assessments of their needs. Care plans were up to date, clear, easy to follow and accurately reflected the needs of people.

We spoke with two people who lived at Willow House. People who lived at the home were positive about the care at Willow House. One person told us 'It's unbelievably good here. I walk into an atmosphere of warmth and I can do whatever I wish.'

We spoke with two care workers and the manager at the home. We also spoke with the provider's regional manager who arrived at the home during our visit.

People had access to health care services. We saw evidence that care workers followed instructions from health care professionals. The home had systems in place which assisted the sharing of information with other providers. One member of staff told us 'The relationship that this home has with GP's and district nurses is very sound. They're always involved. The local GP visits regularly.'

People were satisfied with the care they received and were complimentary about the staff. One person said 'I am looked after extremely well.' Another person said 'I do not regret moving here, the only thing missing from my life is stress.'

Care workers knew people well. People had clear assessments of their needs. Care plans were up to date, clear, easy to follow and reflected the needs of people well. People had access to health care services and staff followed instructions from health care professionals.

People were treated with respect and offered choices throughout the day which supported their independence and provided a meaningful quality of life. People had made access to social activities and support to maintain their spiritual beliefs.

There were enough staff working at the home to meet the needs of people. Care workers had received support and training to provide care and support in a skilled and experienced way. People told us they felt safe at the home and staff knew how to recognise and report abuse. People knew how to make a complaint and we found that the provider dealt with complaints swiftly.

People were complimentary about the staff and the care they received. They said they felt safe living at the home and thought there were enough staff on duty. People were asked by this service to give their views on the care and service they received. They knew how to make a complaint and felt satisfied complaints would be dealt with appropriately.

We spent forty minutes observing life in the lounge. We call this a short observation framework tool (SOFI). During this time we observed staff being polite, respectful and kind. We heard friendly banter and affection being mutually shared. We did not see any negative interactions during our inspection.

People told us they enjoyed the range of activities offered and were involved in the planning of these. People appreciated the activities staff had arranged including visiting shops, hairdressers and musicians.

Medication was well managed at the home, although providing further archived information would show that some previous medicines had been returned to the pharmacist following appropriate procedures.

All records were well maintained at the home and showed that there was effective recruitment and training and that systems to monitor the quality of the service were in place.