Windlesham Manor

On this page

• Overview
• Assessing needs
• Delivering evidence-based care and treatment
• How staff, teams and services work together
• Supporting people to live healthier lives
• Monitoring and improving outcomes
• Consent to care and treatment

Effective – this means we looked for evidence that people’s care, treatment and support achieved good outcomes and promoted a good quality of life, based on best available evidence. At our last assessment we rated this key question good. At this assessment the rating has remained good. This meant people’s outcomes were consistently good, and people’s feedback confirmed this.

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’s care and treatment was effective by assessing and reviewing their health, care, wellbeing and communication needs with them.People had comprehensive care plans in place and the registered manager carried out pre-assessment checks prior to admission. There was evidence of family involvement throughout this process. A relative told us, “(The registered manager) came to my house… he was very honest and explained everything, with the care environment, advised to let mum settle and was up front with the needs and what’s important for her.”Regular reviews and updates were carried out monthly by senior staff, or when a person’s care needs changed. Communication between staff was good with detailed handovers at the start of each shift which communicated any change in people’s needs or support. A professional said, “The staff at Windlesham are always friendly, approachable and aware of their resident's needs.”

The provider planned and delivered people’s care and treatment with them, including what was important and mattered to them. They did this in line with legislation and current evidence-based good practice and standards. There was a focus within the home on managing Sarcopenia, the loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength as a result of aging. Additional information on this was provided to care and kitchen staff who were encouraged to be involved in supporting people with this specific need. Staff used relevant assessment tools such as MUST (Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool) to develop care plans and support people effectively. MUST help identify people who are malnourished or at risk of becoming so and provides guidelines which can be used in care planning. People’s preferences were noted and staff were aware of what was important to them. People had a choice at mealtimes and were supported to have a balanced nutritional intake including any specialist requirements, one person who had specialist dietary needs told us, “I have different puddings, fruit and berries, some chefs do me a different version and use cornflour for custard and gravy.” There was a hydration station in the lounge which the registered manager had installed following a previous issue with the water supply to make sure people always had access to bottled water. Catering staff knew people and their needs and preferences well. People told us, “Food is excellent, always a choice and never a bad meal.”

The provider worked well across teams and services to support people. They made sure people only needed to tell their story once by sharing their assessment of needs when people moved between different services. People had comprehensive care plans that were able to be easily shared between teams and services. Any communications that occurred between services was clearly recorded in peoples care records and all staff had easy access to the digital care plan system. Tasks were delegated and shared evenly through the workforce, for example assisting people to eat and drink and supporting with activities.

The provider supported people to manage their health and wellbeing to maximise their independence, choice and control. Staff supported people to live healthier lives and where possible, reduce their future needs for care and support.People were encouraged to make choices and supported to remain as independent as possible. We observed staff encourage people and support them to safely move around the home as they wished.People were supported to continue regular routine health checks with dentists, opticians and chiropodists. One relative told us, “They recently organised a dentist to come in, there was a gap with a chiropodist, found a new one, and I think opticians as well, so everything is organised.” Speech and Language Therapists had been involved with people who needed specialist assessment and support with eating and drinking, and any recommendations were followed. People’s weights were regularly recorded and any concerns identified were acted on.

The provider routinely monitored people’s care and treatment to continuously improve it. They ensured that outcomes were positive and consistent, and that they met both clinical expectations and the expectations of people themselves.The service encouraged people to walk as much as possible and minimise the use of wheelchairs when safe to do so. The registered manager told us wheelchairs may be quicker at times, but they felt it was important to maximise people’s mobility skills and maintain strength and independence for as long as possible. Clinical support was sought when needed and a professional told us, “The care home has face-to-face GP input once weekly where the home escalates any concerns related to residents' needs and referrals can be completed.”

The provider told people about their rights around consent and respected these when delivering person-centred care and treatment.Consent forms were in place for people and had been signed by the person, or the person’s next of kin who had Lasting Power of Attorney, for Health and Welfare. This meant that they were legally authorised to consent on their behalf. Where appropriate best interest meetings had been held to support people’s care and provide treatment in the most beneficial way to the person. One relative told us, “I have been included in meetings if there’s anything we need to look at.” Staff understood the importance of gaining consent and were observed asking people for consent prior to assisting them. Any decisions around consent and assessments had been recorded appropriately in care notes.