Woodside Place

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.

This is the first assessment for this service. This key question has been rated outstanding.

This meant people’s outcomes were consistently better than expected compared to similar services. People’s feedback described it as exceptional and distinctive.

This service scored 79 (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’s needs were assessed prior to moving to Woodside Place to ensure their needs could be met.
People told us they were consulted about how they wished their care to be provided, and we saw their voice throughout their care plans. Families and health professionals were also consulted. Care plans contained the information staff needed to provide safe care and support, and there was a focus on the information being person centred.
Updates on changes to people’s needs were provided to staff during daily handovers.

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.

Nationally recognised assessment tools were used to assess people’s risks of malnutrition and their risk of skin deterioration. Where staff identified risks, they implemented appropriate control measures such as pressure relieving equipment and modified diets.

Records showed people were consulted about how they wanted their meals. For example, the main meal of the day had been changed to being served at teatime at the request of people living at the home who said they preferred this. Similarly records of meetings showed that people were regularly consulted about menus. One person told us they had requested a pasta dish, and we saw this was on the menu on the day of our visit.

Where specialist input was required, this was integrated into care delivery. For example, guidance from Speech and Language Therapists (SALT) was clearly documented and reflected in detailed care plans, including specific instructions on food and fluid consistency to reduce risks such as choking. Kitchen staff were aware of people’s needs and had been trained to prepare food for people who required a modified diet.

Staff had worked with one person and professionals to enable them to achieve their goal of resuming an oral diet. When they moved to the home, they received food and fluids using a tube. The person along with care staff, the inhouse occupational therapist and the SALT team, created bespoke care plans and risk assessments to achieve this goal safely. The person told us how much they now enjoyed having a takeaway again.

Kitchen, care staff and the occupational therapist also supported people to learn how to cook meals and cakes in the adapted kitchen. People told us they enjoyed these sessions and one person said, “this is helping me to become more independent, so I can live on my own.”

The provider always worked well across teams and services to support people. They shared thorough assessments of people’s needs when they moved between different services, so people only needed to tell their story once.

Wherever possible, people and those important to them were fully involved in shaping their assessments and plans of care.

The home had a proven track record in supporting people to increase their independence. Since opening in 2024, 9 people had moved on to live independently or with reduced support. For example, one person had moved to the service after suffering a traumatic brain injury. After supporting the person to attend a family wedding in another part of the country, the person expressed a wish to live more independently in that area. Staff supported the person to increase their independent living skills and then advocated on their behalf with commissioners from the local authority to achieve the goal. This person is now living in the area they wanted, in their own property, with reduced support. This meant that the person had more autonomy over their life and live the life they choose.

One person told us about how the home was supporting them to meet their goals of living in their own home, “Staff have helped me set my goals. I am looking to get back into the community, and we are taking it stage by stage and the staff are working with me.”

Feedback from professionals that worked with the service was consistently positive. One professional told us, “The care and support provided by staff is excellent. Staff demonstrate a good understanding of residents' individual needs and consistently provide person-centred care.”

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 had access to regular healthcare professionals, these included the GP, mental health team, speech and language therapists, dental access and opticians.

The home had an in-house occupational therapist who worked with people and professionals to help make improvements to people’s health and wellbeing.

At the time of our visit, one person from the home had been admitted to hospital for tests. Recognising the impact this could have on the person's wellbeing, the registered manager arranged for staff to attend the hospital to ensure the person received nutritional support and provided additional support, including personal care, to promote their wellbeing and dignity. This proactive and compassionate response ensured the person's needs continued to be met in the way they wanted during a challenging time and highlighted the service's commitment to going above and beyond for the people they supported.

One family member told us, “[name of relative] was constantly being admitted to hospital at their last home, but since they have been at Woodside Place they haven’t had to be admitted. This is down to the standard of care they receive.” Another said, “[Relative] is doing really well here. I feel they are progressing since being here and not going backwards. It really is a good place.”

The provider monitored all people’s care and treatment to continuously improve it. They ensured that outcomes were positive and consistent, and that they fully met both clinical expectations and the expectations of people themselves.

Staff effectively used an electronic monitoring system to maintain oversight of key aspects of people's care, tailored to their individual needs and preferences. This included monitoring areas such as nutrition, hydration, emotional wellbeing, and any changes in mood, behaviour or overall presentation. The system enabled staff to identify emerging trends and respond promptly to changes, ensuring people received timely, responsive support that promoted their health, wellbeing and positive outcomes. We saw this reflected in people’s records, for example, one person was identified as losing weight and immediately a referral was made to a dietician. Staff identified that another person was withdrawn and isolating themselves in their bedroom and a programme to improve their confidence was introduced.

People were encouraged to set meaningful goals they wanted to achieve. Staff then helped the person work out steps that would ultimately lead to them achieving the goal. These steps were constantly monitored to ensure progress was being made. We saw this approach made a real difference to people’s lives. For example, 2 people told us they were excited about an upcoming Disney holiday which they had been supported to plan. Another person had just used public transport independently for the first time, after a few supervised trips.

The provider told people about their rights around consent and respected these when delivering person-centred care and treatment.

People were supported to understand their rights. People were provided with opportunities to discuss their views and wishes. People told us they felt they were included with decision making regarding their care and support.

Staff told us where people had the capacity to do so they were encouraged to make their own decisions and wherever possible this was done together with their relatives. Where people did not have capacity, they supported people in their best interests. Care plans demonstrated that the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) had been followed, and where necessary, a mental capacity assessment had been completed. Staff had received training around the MCA. A staff member told us, “We have to remember our way isn’t always their way and people have the right to make unwise decisions.”

The MCA provides a legal framework for making decisions on behalf of people who may lack the mental capacity to do so for themselves. The Act requires that, as far as possible, people make their own decisions and are helped to do so when needed. When they lack mental capacity to make decisions, any made on their behalf must be in their best interests and as least restrictive as possible.

Where the home had placed restrictions on people, appropriate authorisation to do so was sought. The registered manager maintained oversight of these authorisations and applied to renew them in a timely manner.