Updated 15 April 2025
Date of Assessment: 25 April to 2 May 2025.Abbeyfield Winnersh is a residential care home that provides personal care to up to 62 older people with dementia. On the day of the inspection, 50 people were being supported by the service.
This inspection was prompted by concerns raised relating to governance and people’s safety. At this inspection, we found no evidence to support these concerns.
We were greeted warmly by the manager, who was applying to register with the Care Quality Commission. The manager and staff were keen to demonstrate the improvements they had made to the service.
Care plans were clearly written, provided guidance and good examples of how people were supported to take part in day-to-day activities. Staff were aware how to identify and respond to changes in people’s needs. The service had initiatives in place to promote and support people with their health and wellbeing and routinely monitored people’s care and treatment. Documentation around capacity was completed appropriately. However, some assessments would benefit from more detail around the process. The manager said they would review these assessments.
Staff understood their responsibility to report concerns about safety. There were enough effectively recruited and trained staff to carry out safe care. The environment met people’s needs and staff managed the risk of infection. The home was clean and free from malodours. People received their medicine as prescribed, and medicines were managed effectively.
Personalised care was planned through discussions with people and their relatives. The service worked effectively with external agencies and professionals to ensure people’s needs were met in a planned and timely manner.
Leaders were passionate about delivering high quality care. Regular meetings were held with staff, including supervision, handovers, and daily briefings. Staff consistently told us how they felt supported in their roles.
We observed compassionate and kind care throughout our visit. Staff told us they enjoyed working at Abbeyfield Winnersh and understood the importance of providing care in a person-centred way. They told us that since the new manager had arrived, they had made positive changes to the service that had improved staff morale and people’s care and treatment. We saw staff were encouraged to work using their own initiative.
Audits were carried out and were used to monitor and improve the service. The service had built links with community services and healthcare services such as GP’s, physiotherapists, dentists, podiatrist, and opticians.