Willow Lodge Nursing Home

On this page

• Overview
• Assessing needs
• Delivering evidence-based care and treatment
• How staff, teams and services work together
• Supporting people to live healthier lives
• Monitoring and improving outcomes
• Consent to care and treatment

Effective – this means we looked for evidence that people’s care, treatment and support achieved good outcomes and promoted a good quality of life, based on best available evidence.

At our last assessment, we rated this key question as good. At this assessment, the rating has remained as good. This meant people’s outcomes were consistently good, and people’s feedback confirmed this.

This service scored 75 (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’s care and treatment was effective by assessing and reviewing their health, care, wellbeing and communication needs with them.

People, their representatives and relevant healthcare professionals were involved in assessments and ongoing reviews of their care and support needs.

Information from assessments and reviews was used to design, deliver and adapt the care and support provided to people to ensure this was tailored to their specific individual needs.

Senior staff regularly monitored and reviewed people’s care and support needs with them so that their records remained up to date with information about their current needs. A relative told us, “I get involved in care reviews when I need and I think they are quite focussed on [family member] and what they need.”

The provider planned and delivered people’s care and treatment with them, including what was important and mattered to them. They did this in line with legislation and current evidence-based good practice and standards.

People’s care plans reflected their choices and preferences for how their care and support was provided. Staff undertook regular training to support them to provide care and support in line with current practice and standards. The registered nurses undertook specific clinical training to ensure they could meet people’s nursing needs effectively. A relative told us, “I think the staff are trained and know how to meet [family member’s] needs.”

Senior staff kept up to date with current research, best practice and relevant guidance to ensure the service delivered care in line with recognised standards.

People were supported to maintain adequate nutrition and hydration in line with their preferences and assessed needs. The chef was provided with key information about people’s specific dietary needs and prepared meals to meet these. A healthcare professional told us, “Excellent attention to dietary needs, particularly for residents with diabetes. Appropriate alternatives are consistently provided, ensuring residents can participate in meals and treats alongside others. For example, when cupcakes are served, residents with diabetes receive suitable diabetic-friendly alternatives.”

The provider worked well across teams and services to support people. They made sure people only needed to tell their story once by sharing their assessment of needs when people moved between different services.

The staff team shared information and updates promptly to ensure people received care and support in a consistent way. The registered nurse told us, “The carers are very good. The experienced carers have been here a long time and know people very well, so they will let me know if things look different or not normal.”

Staff worked proactively with healthcare professionals to ensure people received appropriate and effective support for their care needs. For example, staff worked with healthcare professionals to ensure people were supported to access breast and cervical screening services in a way that reflected their individual needs and preferences, including how and when they wanted to access these services. A healthcare professional told us, “We work well together and share the same goal of achieving the best possible outcomes for the people receiving care.”

The provider supported people to manage their health and wellbeing to maximise their independence, choice and control. Staff supported people to live healthier lives and where possible, reduce their future need for care and support.

People were supported to stay healthy and well, in line with their needs and wishes. The provider took a proactive approach to identifying ways to support people's health and wellbeing. A large marquee had been installed in the garden, creating an outdoor space where people were encouraged to participate in activities, enjoy meals and spend quality time with visiting friends and family. The registered manager told us that spending more time outdoors had contributed to improved mental health and wellbeing, better sleep and increased exposure to natural sunlight, supporting people's access to vitamin D. These opportunities also encouraged social interaction and engagement, helping people to enjoy a more active and fulfilling lifestyle.

Staff supported people to access healthcare services when needed and worked closely with healthcare professionals to ensure support was well coordinated and tailored to their needs. They shared key information about people to support effective decision making and ensure their healthcare needs were understood and appropriately addressed. A friend of a person using the service told us, “[Person] has had a lot of infections in the past, but the [staff] and healthcare professionals seem quite joined up. The service respond very quickly to any guidance or recommendations…[Staff] have managed to get on top of the recurring infections.”

Staff monitored people’s general health and wellbeing using a range of healthcare tools to assess and monitor their ongoing needs. Any changes or concerns were promptly reported to the relevant healthcare professionals to ensure people received timely and appropriate support. A healthcare professional told us, “They genuinely want the best for the people they support and make every effort to help them achieve their goals, maintain their independence and enjoy a good quality of life.”

Senior staff regularly reviewed information relating to people’s healthcare needs to ensure care plans and guidance were focused on their current needs and remained effective in promoting their ongoing health and wellbeing.

The provider routinely monitored people’s care and treatment to continuously improve it. They ensured that outcomes were positive and consistent, and that they met both clinical expectations and the expectations of people themselves.

People’s care plans set out their stated goals and desired outcomes. Staff supported people to achieve these. They worked well with healthcare professionals to monitor and review people’s clinical needs, ensuring the support they received remained effective. A healthcare professional told us, “Impressive responsiveness in reviewing residents’ health conditions and ensuring treatment plans are updated, with clear evidence of positive outcomes and improvements.”

Staff maintained records of the care and support provided to people, including observations about their health and wellbeing. Senior staff reviewed these records to check that the care and support provided was helping people achieve positive and consistent outcomes.

The provider told people about their rights around consent and respected these when delivering person-centred care and treatment.

People were supported to understand their rights around consent before staff provided care and support. A staff member told us, “When we approach people we will ask for permission and we will always ask for permission and we explain what we want to do.” Our observations during visits to the service supported this. We saw staff seeking people’s consent before providing them with care and support.

The service was working within the principles of the Mental Capacity Act. Mental capacity assessments were completed with people and those involved in their care. Where people were unable to make specific decisions or consent to their care, processes were in place to ensure decisions were made in their best interests.