We inspected Woodlands Court Care Home on 16 December 2014. The inspection was unannounced. The last inspection took place on 12 December 2013 during which we found there were no breaches in regulations.
Woodlands Court Care Home provides care and treatment for up to 54 older people, some of whom may experience needs related to dementia. There are two units in the home; one called The Bungalows and the other called The House. There were 46 people living within the two units on the day of our inspection.
There was a registered manager in post at the time of the inspection. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are 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.
CQC is required by law to monitor the operation of the Mental Capacity Act, 2005 Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) and to report on what we find. DoLS are in place to protect people where they do not have capacity to make decisions and where it is considered necessary to restrict their freedom in some way, usually to protect themselves.
At the time of the inspection no-one who lived at the home had their freedom restricted. People’s rights were also protected by staff who understood the Mental Capacity Act 2005 Code of Practice and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards, and followed the correct procedures.
People liked living in the home and felt safe there. They were involved in planning and reviewing their care and were able to voice their opinions and views about how the service was run. Appropriate equipment was available for them to help maintain as much independence as they could.
There was an open and inclusive atmosphere within the home. Relatives were consulted about people’s care where appropriate and felt welcome in the home whenever they visited.
People and their relatives knew how to make a complaint or raise concerns and there were systems in place to manage them.
There were enough staff to meet people’s needs. They were recruited, trained and supported to meet people’s needs in the right way.
People’s health, safety and well being was protected by staff who understood how to identify, assess and manage any risks or concerns related to people’s care. People had access to appropriate healthcare professionals and support services and their medicines were managed safely. They were also provided with a nutritious and varied diet that took account of their likes, dislikes and preferences.
Staff treated people with warmth and kindness and showed respect for their privacy, dignity and opinions. Staff listened to their views and made any changes to their care and support that they wished for.
Systems were in place for on-going assessment and monitoring of the quality of services provided for people. Actions were taken as result of any issues identified.