Willowbrooke Residential 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 service 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 service 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.

During observations at Willowbrooke Residential Home, we witnessed person centred care was being provided. People and their relatives felt people received person centred care which met their needs. Care plans were person-centred based on the information recorded and, included details of people’s likes and dislikes.

Staff spoke about what person centred care meant. One staff member said, "It is about how each individual would like to be cared for. "The registered manager told us care plans were person centred and how they supported people to receive person centred care. They said, "We make sure they (care plans) reflect the person and what they like. We did have a person that liked their meals swapped around so dinner at teatime and vice versa so we did that for them."

The service understood the diverse health and care needs of people and their local communities, so care was joined-up, flexible and supported choice and continuity.

Throughout the inspection staff and management made reference to various organisations they made referrals to for support, when needed. We found exampleswhere referrals were made to ensure people received the right support and treatment.

Relatives told us they were happy with the care provision. One relative said, “Yes [their loved one was] definitely (receiving the care and support they are being funded or paying for), [person] is very happy here.” Professionals provided positive feedback in this area. One professional told us, "Yes, we have just been talking about someone's needs changing, they have just asked for an assessment to get extra funding for someone, so they do get onboard with that."

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

People could access information and were supported to express their views in numerous ways. These included during resident meetings, through surveys and by raising complaints. People and their relatives felt their information was securely stored.

Staff spoke about how they promoted people’s privacy. People’s information was protected using passwords on electronic devices and paper records were stored away in lockable cupboards and a GDPR policy was in place.

The service made it easy for people to share feedback and ideas, or raise complaints about their care, treatment and support. They involved people in decisions about their care.

People could provide feedback. People and their relatives were able to raise concerns or feedback through various channels. There had been no recent complaints made to the service. Policies were in place to support people in sharing feedback, including a complaints policy.

One relative said, “They are always looking for suggestions, they ask the residents and, they have a suggestion box.” Staff told us they generally felt able to escalate any concerns to the management to investigate. One staff member said, "Yes. I have had a concern a while ago and she (registered manager) was quick to sort it." Some surveys had been completed by people, their relatives, staff and visiting professionals in February 2025, responses were mostly positive. These surveys had yet to be analysed by an external auditor.

The service made sure that people could access the care, support and treatment they needed when they needed it. Staff felt that people received the care they needed.

People’s relatives said the service was accessible our observations confirmed this. The service had a lift, a stair lift, grab rails in corridors and bathrooms, ground floor bedrooms and multiple toilet facilities across both floors. The service had equipment in place to support accessibility in the service. Professionals felt the service was accessible for people and they also noted that they were able to easily contact the service.

Staff and leaders actively listened to information about people who were most likely to experience inequality in experience or outcomes and tailored their care, support and treatment in response to this.

People’s relatives told us they felt people were treated equally. Staff told us they had no concerns about the care the service provided. Meetings for or with people who used the service were taking place. This kept people up to date with any changes and allowed them to discuss any concerns.

People were given support to plan for important life changes, so they could make informed decisions about their future, including at the end of their life.

The registered manager told us how they supported people at the end of their life. They told us following the death of a person families are offered time and support to make arrangements going forward. Staff attend funerals and sometimes people do too. People’s relatives told us people had end of life care plans in place. One relative said, “Yes, I have discussed it with the service, we have updated it recently.”

On reviewing end of life information, we were shown an, “In memory book”. This contained a picture of the person who passed away along with their order of service. The service also planted a tree for people who had used the service when they had died. Families were sent a copy of a certficate that showed a tree had been planted in their honour. The registered manager told us about a person who had passed away, who loved spending time in the summer house, and asked for a plaque in their memory to be put up in the summer house. They confirmed this was done.

Care records confirmed, where appropriate, people had appropriate do not attempt cardio pulmonary resuscitation paperwork in place. Staff had end of life training, and an end-of-life policy was also in place.