The Care Quality Commission
  • Care Home
  • Care home

Woodlands Care Home

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

84 Long Lane, Uxbridge, Middlesex, UB10 8SX (01895) 634830

Provided and run by:
The Woodlands Care Home Limited

Important: The provider of this service changed - see old profile

All Inspections

During an assessment under our new approach

Date of assessment: 2 December 2025. We carried out an unannounced visit to the service.

Woodlands Care Home is a care home without nursing for up to 32 older people. At the time of our assessment, 14 people were living at the service.

The previous rating for this service was inadequate (published 5 June 2025). The service was placed in special measures. At the last assessment, we identified breaches of legal regulations relating to dignity and respect, safe care and treatment, safeguarding people from abuse, staffing and good governance. We used our powers to take urgent enforcement action.

At this assessment, we found the provider had made the required improvements and was no longer breaching any legal regulations. The service is no longer in special measures.

The provider assessed risks to people’s safety and wellbeing. However, we found that risk assessments were not always detailed and did not include learning from accidents or incidents. Some care plans did not include personalised information. We discussed these areas with the registered manager. They told us they were in the process of updating these records. We were assured staff knew people’s needs. However, the provider needed to improve the assessment and planning processes.

Staff completed training about dementia. But this was basic and did not include learning to help them understand how to manage challenging situations. The registered manager told us they were trying to source this training to ensure staff were equipped to deliver evidence-based care.

There were enough staff but there were times of the day when staffing deployment needed to be reviewed. For example, when staff were busy with individual tasks, there were times when 1 member of staff was left to oversee a group of people. The impact of the way staff were deployed meant some people became anxious and staff were not available to reassure them. We discussed this with the registered manager, and they agreed to review staff deployment at these busy times of the day.

People lived in a safe and clean environment. The provider had improved audits and checks to ensure safety.

Staff treated people with kindness, compassion and respect.

Staff provided a range of social and leisure activities.

Staff worked with other healthcare professionals to monitor and meet people’s needs.

People were able to make choices from a range of freshly prepared, nutritious food.

Staff felt well supported. They had opportunities to discuss their work with the management team and felt valued.

The provider had effective systems for monitoring and improving the quality of the service.

During an assessment under our new approach

Woodlands Care Home is a care home without nursing for older people. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises, and the care provided, and both were looked at during this assessment.

 

The last rating for this service was good (published 23 July 2019). This assessment was conducted based on the length of time since the last rating. The new rating for this service is inadequate.

 

In instances where CQC has decided to take civil or criminal enforcement action against a provider, we will publish this information on our website after any representations and/or appeals have been concluded. This service is being placed in special measures. The purpose of special measures is to ensure that services providing inadequate care make significant improvements. Special measures provide a framework within which we use our enforcement powers in response to inadequate care and provide a timeframe within which providers must improve the quality of the care they provide.

 

Woodlands Care Home is registered for up to 19 people. However, during our assessment we identified serious concerns and took urgent action which included restricting the number of people who could live at the service to 9. The provider will need to make an application to remove this condition before they accommodate more than 9 people.

 

The assessment started on 27 March 2025 and ended on 11 April 2025. We carried out unannounced site visits to the service on 27 March, 3 and 8 April 2025.

 

We identified serious concerns relating to safe care and treatment, staffing and good governance. Because of the seriousness of our concerns, we have imposed conditions on the provider’s registration. The provider sent evidence that immediate risks to people’s safety had been mitigated. However, we continued to be concerned that governance systems had failed to identify these issues as the provider lacked insight of the significant risk of harm their actions posed to people using the service. We identified other concerns which needed further action. The provider was in breach of legal regulations relating to dignity and respect, safe care and treatment, safeguarding people from abuse and improper treatment, good governance and staffing.

 

The provider had not always assessed or planned for the risks relating to people’s care and wellbeing. The systems for managing medicines were not always robust. There were not always enough staff deployed to keep people safe or meet their needs. There were risks within the environment, including fire safety risks. The provider had not always protected people from abuse and improper treatment.

 

The provider did not always ensure people were given informed choices for them to consent to care. People’s care needs had been assessed. However, records relating to these were not personalised and did not always give enough information about how needs should be met.

 

The provider did not always ensure people’s privacy dignity or human rights were respected. Some of the practices at the service needed to be improved to ensure people’s best interests were being considered and met.

 

The registered manager and provider did not always understand or meet their legal responsibilities. The systems for monitoring and improving quality were not effectively implemented and risks were not always monitored or mitigated.

 

The provider had systems to help them learn from things that had gone wrong. They responded to the concerns we identified and took action to help reduce immediate risks.

 

Staff knew people well and worked with each other and external healthcare professionals to provide care and treatment. People’s needs were monitored so that care could be adjusted. There was a range of activities and entertainment designed to engage people and promote skills and independence.

 

The provider had systems for recruiting staff to make sure they were suitable. Staff undertook training and had information to help them understand their roles and responsibilities. Staff felt well supported and happy working at the service.

9 July 2019

During a routine inspection

About the service

Woodlands Care Home is a residential home for up to 19 older people living with the experience of dementia. At the time of the inspection 18 people were using the service. The home is owned and managed by a private limited company. This is a family business and Woodlands Care Home is the only registered location for the provider. The provider owns a day centre, which is next to the care home. This is not regulated by the Care Quality Commission.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

People living at the service, and their visitors, were happy with the care they received. They spoke extremely positively about how caring the staff were, and we also witnessed kind and thoughtful interactions. People's needs were being met and they were able to make choices about how they spent their time. Where people were not able to make complex decisions, their relatives were involved in planning care, so this reflected their preferences. There was a wide range of different activities for people to participate in. The home had a lively atmosphere and the staff paid attention to people making sure they were comfortable, happy and had everything they needed.

People's dignity, equality and human rights were respected. Everyone was treated as an individual and able to express their choices. The provider had promoted LGBT+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) awareness at the service. They also ensured that the activities, food and structure of the day reflected people's cultural needs and identities.

The staff liked working at the service. They felt supported and had the training and information they needed. There were processes to make sure only suitable staff were recruited. Their competencies and knowledge were assessed, and they were giving a range of training and an induction to the service. There were regular team and individual staff meetings with the registered manager where they could discuss the service and their work.

The registered manager shared information about changes in national guidance, best practice and relevant legislation with staff and also other stakeholders. During team meetings, the staff discussed these areas and were able to ask for further training or to take a lead in champion specific areas within the service. The newsletter, which was shared with all stakeholders, gave clear and relevant information about different topics as well as news about the service. For example, a recent newsletter had included information about LGBT+ awareness, changes in regulations relating to data and information about Clinical Commissioning Groups and how these related to the service.

People's needs were recorded in clear and well-ordered care plans. These were regularly reviewed and updated. The staff recorded the care and support they gave to people each day, and this showed that care plans were followed. People were supported to be independent where they were able, and the staff had assessed any risks to their safety and wellbeing. They received their medicines on time and as prescribed. The staff liaised with other health care professionals to make sure people received the treatment and medical interventions they needed. The provider employed a chef who knew people's likes and dislikes and provided a choice of freshly prepared meals. The chef had undertaken specialist training regarding the risk of choking and food textures, so they made sure food and fluid textures were suitable for each person's needs. People were offered drinks throughout the day and could help themselves to drinks 24 hours a day from a 'juice bar' situated in the lounge.

The owner of the company was also the registered manager. They had managed the home since 2011 and previously worked there as part of the family business. They had a management qualification. They had a very good knowledge of individuals who lived and worked at the service. The staff told us they felt well supported by the registered manager. Some staff told us that the registered manager had shown exceptional support and understanding of their particular needs. People's visitors told us the management team were open and approachable. People knew how to make a complaint and felt these would be responded to appropriately. There were systems for monitoring and improving the quality of the service, and these included asking stakeholders for their views. Information about the service, activities, menus, policies and procedures were displayed for the people who lived there and their relatives.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was Good (published 29 April 2017).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Woodlands Care Home on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.

8 March 2017

During a routine inspection

The inspection took place on 8 and 13 March 2017 and the first day was unannounced. This was the first inspection under the current registration with the Care Quality Commission.

Woodlands Care Home provides personal care for up to 19 people with dementia care needs in single bedrooms. At the time of the inspection the home was full.

The registered manager had worked at the service for several years. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

Staff recruitment procedures were not always being robustly followed to ensure only suitable staff were employed by the service. This was addressed promptly following the inspection.

We identified some shortfalls with medicine stock checks and monitoring, so medicines were not always being safely managed. The registered manager addressed the findings and took action to better monitor medicines management.

Systems for monitoring the service were in place, however they were not robust and did not always identify shortfalls. The registered manager took action to address the areas of concern promptly and to introduce more robust monitoring processes for the service.

People, relatives and health and social care professionals were happy with the care and support being provided at the service.

Systems were in place to safeguard people from the risk of abuse and staff understood the action to take if they had any concerns.

Risk assessments and action plans were in place for individual risks so these were minimised. Systems and equipment were being maintained and serviced to maintain their safety.

There were enough staff on duty to meet people’s needs.

Staff received training to provide them with the skills and knowledge to care for people effectively.

We found the service to be meeting the requirements of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) and Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). DoLS were in place to ensure that people’s freedom was not unduly restricted. Staff understood people’s needs and acted in their best interests.

People’s dietary needs and preferences were being identified and met. People’s nutritional needs and status were assessed and monitored.

People’s healthcare needs were identified and they received input from the GP, community nurse and other healthcare professionals when required.

Staff understood the individual care and support people needed and provided this in a kind and caring manner.

Staff offered people choices and treated them in a respectful and dignified way.

Care records were personalised and up to date and changes in people’s condition were identified and included in the care plans.

The service provided a wide variety of activities for people to take part in and there was a good atmosphere in the service.

There was a complaints procedure in place and people and relatives felt able to raise any concerns they might have.

The registered manager and deputy manager were approachable and listened to people, relatives and staff so that any issues could be promptly addressed. The registered manager strived to continually improve the experiences for people living at the service.