Westwood Lodge Care Home

On this page

• Overview
• Kindness, compassion and dignity
• Treating people as individuals
• Independence, choice and control
• Responding to people’s immediate needs
• Workforce wellbeing and enablement

Caring – this means we looked for evidence that the service involved people and treated them with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.

At our last inspection we rated this key question good. At this inspection the rating has remained good. This meant people were supported and treated with dignity and respect; and were involved as partners in their care.

This service scored 70 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

Staff treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected people’s privacy and dignity. Staff communicated with people in a caring and compassionate way. They gave people time to respond, listened to them and provided sensitive support to ensure people's needs were promoted. A person commented, “There are regular staff, you see the same faces. I have a lot of respect for them.” Another person commented, “The staff are kind, they are keeping me well.” Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect. A professional told us, “Staff have been approachable and welcoming to me when I have made an appointment and visited.”

Staff treated people as individuals and ensured people’s care, support and treatment met people’s needs and preferences. They took account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics. Staff established consistent and trusting relationships with people which enabled people to relax with the support provided. A person commented, “Staff are kind and patient, they use the translator to talk to me. I trust the staff.” Staff had received training in equality and diversity to emphasise the importance of treating people as unique individuals with different and diverse needs.

Staff at the service promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and well-being. Staff empowered people to be in control of their lives which led to a wider range of experiences for people. A person told us, “I make my own choices.” Another person told us, “I am mainly on my own, that is my choice.” A kitchen servery had been created on the first floor where people were encouraged to make snacks and drinks for themselves. A staff member commented, “People on the first floor can make their own tea and coffee now, there is equipment and fridge with milk and snacks.”

Independence and autonomy were promoted, whatever the level of need. However, care records did not all document how people's independence was to be promoted. Further information was needed in care plans to detail the support staff needed to provide and what the person could do themselves to help complete the task and maintain their independence.

Improvements were needed to activities and entertainment to keep people occupied if they wished to take part. We observed people sat asleep or unoccupied and did not have the opportunity to be stimulated or take part in activities. People’s feedback included, “I just watch television, there is nothing else”, “We have never had activities for a while” and “I do get bored.” A staff member commented, “There are extra shifts available for staff who want to do an activity with people like go out, some people will need 2 staff to go with them for safety.” We discussed our observations and the feedback with the registered manager who told us an activities co-ordinator had just been appointed.

Staff listened to and understood people’s needs, views and wishes. Staff responded to people’s needs in the moment and acted to minimise any discomfort, concern or distress. They worked calmly, compassionately and responded to people promptly. A person commented, “I was drawing the curtains in here, and I fell. I pressed the buzzer, they [staff] came quickly. They sorted me out, they were efficient.”

The provider cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care.Staff told us they felt valued and supported by the management team. They all commented they were encouraged to voice their opinions, ideas and suggestions. Their comments included, “There is flexibility around shifts if needed, you can make requests to change, swap your shift”, “The manager tries to accommodate any requests for change of shift” and “Staff get positive feedback now, we feel more appreciated.”