West Wood 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 requires improvement. At this assessment the rating has changed to good. This meant people’s needs were met through good organisation and delivery.

This service scored 71 (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. We found people’s care plans told staff about the life people experienced prior to moving into the service. It enabled staff to have an understanding and to ensure people were supported to continue living the life they wish to live. We observed nice interactions between staff and people. People in the environment were doing their own routines, and 1 person told us, “We can do what we want, when we want.” Another person said, “I go out with my [relative] to Sheringham Garden, and I go to the leisure centre and the gym with my [relative] on Saturday morning.”

There were some shortfalls in the continuity of the staffing within the service. However, the provider understood the diverse health and care needs of people and their local communities, so care was joined-up, flexible and supported choice. The service relied on agency to support with staffing on a regular basis. This impacted the care that was being delivered. However, throughout our inspection new staff were going through recruitment checks and awaiting to start within the service. Some healthcare professionals felt their advice was not consistently followed so care was not joined-up. A comment we received from a health professional was, “The provider is generally not responsive when things go wrong, and they do not work collaboratively with healthcare professionals to put in place recovery plans or take appropriate actions when prompted.” We raised these concerns with the provider, and the new manager had been actively trying to meet with healthcare professionals to resolve the issue.

We observed the manager supporting people and their families through funding requests due to their changing needs. People felt they were supported by the service to see healthcare professionals when needed. A person told us “The staff organise appointments for the GP etc and they ask me how I have got on. It can be difficult as I look after myself and they say, ‘hope you don't mind us asking’ [Staff] are very responsive.”

The provider supplied appropriate, accurate and up-to-date information in formats that were tailored to individual needs. The provider ensured they provided information promptly. When there were changes in the service or changes to people’s needs. They had a statement of purpose on display in the home and all people had a service user guide that informed them of the service, what they could expect to receive and what was in the local area.

We asked people how the service provided information and a person told us, “We have printed activity planners once a week. Anything else going on and they let us know or they come and knock on the door. They provided us with all documentation of the service when I arrived and I still have it,” and, “They were very open with what was being said in the last report and the actions that had been taken.” Staff told us how they understand the importance of general data protection regulations (GDPR.) Information provided was available in different formats to meet accessible information standards.

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. The provider had recently reviewed their complaints policy. We reviewed the services complaints log and could see the new policy was already embedded.

Complaints always offered an apology, an explanation of the investigation that was undertaken, findings and actions taken. Lessons were learnt from complaints, and these were shared with the team for areas of improvement. People felt able to raise concerns. A person told us, “I would feel able to raise a complaint.” Feedback from relatives included, “Yes, we do and we have. They are trying to make things better. We know we can speak to [staff member] and [staff member] who run good shifts,” and “I have in the past and it was all sorted.”

Staff told us how they would support people to raise concerns and escalate them to ensure they were listened to.

The provider made sure that people could access the care, support and treatment they needed when they needed it. People’s care plans recorded reasonable adjustments people may need to ensure their care and support needs were met. This included aspects like communication barriers, inability to access healthcare services and mobility issues including equipment they needed. People had specialised equipment prescribed from occupational therapists to enable them to have equal opportunities as other people living in the service. Equipment was readily available for people in the service. Staff told us the different aids and adaptions that people had to support them.

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. The provider ensured they had equality and diversity policies in place that reflected the equality and human rights legislation.

Staff had undertaken, equality and diversity training to enable them to identify any forms of discrimination. All people and staff we spoke with confirmed they had not witnessed discrimination in the service. A staff member told us, “I advocate for people and ensure equal access to services and opportunities.”

We observed the environment was adapted for a person to ensure they could sit at the dining table in the dining room to enjoy their meal with other people.

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 were actively spoken with about their end of life wishes and were given time to make decisions when they were not sure. A person told us, “[Staff have] spoke about all that and it's covered.” People’s choices and requests were recorded within their care plans. This ensured people’s wishes were followed people were nearing the end of their life.

Staff told us about the training they had completed around end-of-life care. A staff member said, “I have completed end of life care training. This covered, support, comfort, dignity, pain management, emotional wellbeing, advance care planning, and family involvement.”