Archived: Westwood Lodge Care Home

Below is a summary of what we found. The summary is based on our observations during the inspection, speaking with people using the service, the staff supporting them and from looking at records.

If you want to see the evidence supporting our summary please read our full report.

Is the service safe?

People told us they felt safe. Safeguarding procedures were robust and staff understood how to safeguard people they supported.

People told us that they felt their rights and privacy were respected.

Systems were in place to make sure that managers and staff learned from events such as accidents and incidents, complaints, concerns, whistleblowing and investigations.

Staff knew about risk management plans and discussed situations in which they had followed them. People were not put at unnecessary risk but also had access to choice and remained in control of decisions about their care and lives.

The registered manager set the staff rotas and they took people's care needs into account when making decisions about the numbers, qualifications, skills and experience required. This helped to ensure that people's needs were always met.

Policies and procedures were in place to make sure that unsafe practice was identified and people were protected.

Staff records demonstrated that mandatory training was up to date and that staff were trained sufficiently to meet the needs of people who lived there. Staff were trained in caring for people with dementia, challenging behaviour and in Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards.

Is the service effective?

People's health and care needs were assessed with them, and they were involved in writing their plans of care. Where people did not have the capacity to consent to care, there were procedures in place to ensure that decisions were made in the best interest of the person.

Specialist dietary needs had been identified where required. People said that their care plans were up to date and reflected their current needs. Staff told us that care plans were personalised which helped them to understand how to provide care in a way that respected the person's personality, likes and dislikes.

Is the service caring?

We spoke with people who lived in the home and spent time observing them being cared for by staff. We asked them for their opinions about the staff that supported them. Feedback from people was positive, for example; 'I like it here - I am very happy here' and, "The staff are brilliant, I'm well cared for."

When speaking with staff it was clear that they genuinely cared for the people they supported. People using the service, their relatives and other professionals involved with the service were able to take part in regular meetings with staff. Where shortfalls or concerns were raised these were taken on board and dealt with.

People's preferences, interests, aspirations and diverse needs had been recorded and care and support had been provided in accordance with people's wishes.

Is the service responsive?

People knew how to make a complaint if they were unhappy. One person said that they had never made a complaint but knew how to do so.

The service worked well with other agencies and services to make sure people received care in a well-structured way.

Is the service well-led?

The service had a quality assurance system, and records showed that identified problems and opportunities to change things for the better were addressed promptly. As a result the quality of the service was continuously improving.

Staff told us they were clear about their roles and responsibilities. Staff had a good understanding of the ethos of the home that helped to ensure that people received a good quality service at all times.

Some people who used the service had complex needs which meant they could not share their experiences. We used a number of methods to help us understand their experiences, including carrying out an observation and speaking with people who used the service who could share their experiences.

During our observation we saw people were treated with consideration and respect. People told us they were happy with the care which was provided. One person said, "This is the best care home I've ever lived in. I've been in a few others, but I've been here a long time now, and I couldn't ask for anything more. The staff are brilliant. They will help you with anything. I don't know where I would be if it wasn't for the staff here. I wouldn't ever want to leave."

We saw from care records that people's preferences and care needs had been well documented. We spoke with three members of staff. Staff were knowledgeable about people's care needs and what they should do to support them.

The provider had made suitable arrangements to protect vulnerable people from the risk of abuse. We saw processes were in place to ensure staff were of good character and qualified to work within the service.

There was an effective complaints system available and people were given information about how to make a complaint.

People we spoke with told us they were involved in making decisions about how their care was provided. One person said, "This is a really good home. Staff are very supportive. I live the way that I want to. I've got the freedom to do whatever I want to do." We saw there were processes in place to involve people who used the service, and their relatives in decisions made about people's care.

We reviewed four care records and saw that people's preferences and care needs had been well documented. We spoke with three members of staff. Staff were knowledgeable about the people's care needs and what they should do to support them.

There were enough qualified, skilled and experienced staff to meet people's needs. We saw there were systems in place to ensure medications were handled and administered safely. We found there was an effective system in place to monitor and assess the quality of the service provided.