Green Willow Care 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 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.

Care plans were person-centred and reflective of people’s support needs, wishes and preferences. Details included emotional support for people and how they would like to be supported in times of distress. Staff knew people well and treated them as individuals, providing care that was tailored to each person. Relatives were informed of changes to people’s needs. A relative said, “Staff are patient and kind. They inform me promptly if they have any concerns.”

Staff knew people well and treated them as individuals. We observed staff respecting people’s personalised choices. For example, one person wanted to engage in activities while another person wanted to watch television in their room.

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 healthcare professionals to ensure consistency of care. The provider had a consistent staff team which ensured continuity of care for people. Staff had good understanding of people’s health and social care needs and attended specific training for this. A relative said, “What makes the place so special is that the people working there are competent, caring and friendly.”

People were supported to see their friends and family. A staff member said, “We don’t just support the residents, but we support their families too. We get to know them all, as they are all involved in the care.” There was a weekly round from the local GP surgery where people’s changing needs could be discussed.

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

People’s communication needs were documented in their care plans. We observed posters throughout the home to guide staff and people on hydration through food, safeguarding, how to make a complaint and how to give feedback. People received information in a way they could understand. Policies were clear and in line with national guidelines.

The service had subscribed to a specific newsletterapp service which allowed family members to upload to, informing people of what their family has been up to since the last edition. This then turned into a newsletter for people which had a positive impact and brought them happiness. A relative said, “The information I get, detailing the many various daily activities and visits, and the minutes of the monthly resident meetings are a great help. The app is a great addition and [person] loves seeing what we all get up to.”

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 told us they could approach staff and the registered manager about anything and felt confident their concerns would be dealt with. Complaints posters were located around the service for people and relatives to view. Where concerns had been raised, appropriate actions had been taken. The registered manager held monthly meetings with residents. Any changes requested by people were considered and, where possible, made. Leaders produced monthly newsletters which featured people and their relatives.

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

All people had regular access to weekly GP visits and annual health reviews. A relative told us, “We appreciate that Green Willow has a good relationship with [GP] surgery and it is easy for [person] to be reviewed on the weekly ward round, or sooner if necessary.” The home was accessible for people using wheelchairs. This included the use of the garden which we observed to be popular with people.

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 treated people fairly and there were no concerns about discrimination. Staff had completed equality and diversity training and strongly believed in upholding people’s wishes. Staff spoke with people and their relatives to ensure peoples’ care remained tailored to their individual cultural needs. The registered manager told us, “The home has strong links with the church which is important to some residents. The local church service is streamed every Sunday. We hold holy communion once a month and we often welcome friends from the church to the home.”

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’s wishes and decisions were recorded in their care plans; this included any end-of-life decisions. The registered manager gave us examples of how they had assisted people at the end of their life. For example, they organised funeral arrangements for one person as they had no family to assist them. The registered manager explained they had the honour to write the person’s eulogy. The service showed support and understanding to relatives. A relative said, “As [person] becomes increasingly confused, the staff are caring for her kindly and with compassion while keeping [person] safe and comfortable. They have also been sympathetic to family members when visiting and in need of a cup of tea and some support.”