Westleigh Lodge

Updated 12 February 2021

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

As part of CQC’s response to the coronavirus pandemic we are looking at the preparedness of care homes in relation to infection prevention and control. This was a targeted inspection looking at the infection control and prevention measures the provider has in place.

This inspection took place on 29 January 2021 and was announced.

Updated 12 February 2021

Westleigh Lodge is a ‘care home’. 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 inspection. The home is situated in Leigh, Greater Manchester and provides nursing care for up to 48 people living with dementia. The home is made up of two units spread over two floors, one named Brookdale, the other Parkview. At the time of our inspection 45 people were living at Westleigh Lodge.

At our last inspection we rated the service good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

During the last inspection, although the home was rated as good overall, it was rated as requires improvement in the KLOE safe, as we identified some minor concerns with medication management, recruitment procedures and odours within the home. During this inspection we found the provider had made improvements within each of these areas.

The service had a registered manager. 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.

People told us they felt safe living at Westleigh Lodge. Relatives also spoke positively about the standard of care provided to their loved ones, telling us their relatives were well looked after and they would recommend the home to others. We saw staff had all received training in safeguarding, which was regularly refreshed and when asked, all knew how to report any concerns.

The home was clean and free from odours, with robust cleaning and infection control processes in place. Staff wore personal protective equipment (PPE) to prevent the spread of infection and toilets and bathrooms contained hand hygiene equipment and guidance. The home had recently undergone a period of refurbishment, with further works planned in the future, to ensure the environment remained suitable.

Staffing levels were allocated based on people’s dependency levels, which were regularly reviewed, to ensure information was accurate and reflected peoples current needs. People, their relatives and staff all told us enough staff were employed to meet people’s needs.

Care files contained both standardised and personalised detailed risk assessments, which were reviewed monthly to reflect people’s changing needs. This ensured staff had the necessary information to help minimise risks to people living at the home.

We saw medicines were stored, handled and administered safely and effectively. All required documentation was in place and had been completed consistently. Staff responsible for administering medicines had been trained and had their competency assessed.

Staff told us they received sufficient training and support to carry out their roles. We saw staff completed an induction programme upon commencing employment and on-going training was provided, both e-learning and practical, to ensure skills and knowledge remained up to date. Staff also confirmed they received regular supervision and annual appraisals, along with the completion of monthly team meetings.

Where possible, people were encouraged to make decisions and choices about their care and had their choices respected. Relatives and/or legal representatives, were actively involved in the care planning and review process, and had access to care documentation upon request. We saw people's consent to care and treatment was also sought prior to care being delivered. We saw the service was working within the principles of the MCA and had followed the correct procedures when making DoLS applications.

People’s nutrition and hydration needs were being met. Meal times were observed to be a positive experience, with people having a choice into both what and where they ate. Food and fluid charts had been used where people had specific nutritional or hydration needs, with clear guidance in place for staff to follow.

Throughout the inspection we observed positive and appropriate interactions between the staff and people who used the service. Staff were seen to be patient, caring and treated people with kindness, dignity and respect. It was clear from observations, staff knew the people they supported very well and people felt comfortable in staff’s presence.

Each care file we viewed contained detailed, personalised information about the person and how they wished to be cared for. Each file contained detailed care plans and risk assessments, which helped ensure their needs were being met and their safety maintained. These had been reviewed regularly, with the involvement of people and their relatives, to ensure they remained suitable for their needs.

The home had a complaints procedure in place, with any received recorded in detail along with actions taken. People and relatives we spoke with knew how to complain, but said they had not needed to.

An activity coordinator had recently been recruited, who had introduced a varied activity programme. Folders had been set up to record and document activity completion, which people could refer to for remembrance. The home also linked in with other homes in the local area, to enable people to enage in each other’s activities and events.

The home had a range of systems and procedures in place to monitor the quality and effectiveness of the service. Action plans were drawn up, to ensure any issues had been addressed. Feedback of the home was sought from people, relatives and staff and used to drive continued improvement.