Updated 22 March 2023
The inspection
We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Health and Social Care Act 2008.
As part of this inspection we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place. This was conducted so we can understand the preparedness of the service in preventing or managing an infection outbreak, and to identify good practice we can share with other services.
Inspection team
The inspection was carried out by 2 inspectors and an Expert by Experience. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.
Service and service type
Westlands is a 'care home'. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and/or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. Westlands is a care home without nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.
Registered Manager
This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.
At the time of our inspection there was an experienced registered manager in post.
Notice of inspection
The first day of our inspection was unannounced. On arrival we found there was an outbreak of an infectious disease (COVID-19), and so limited our inspection activities on site due to the outbreak. We informed the registered manager we would return for a second day to complete our inspection visit.
Inspection activity started on 04 January 2023 and ended on 23 January 2023. We visited the location's service on 04 and 11 January 2023.
What we did before the inspection
We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We looked at the information we had received from relatives and people who used the service. We asked the local authority and Healthwatch for any information they had which would aid our inspection. Local authorities, together with other agencies may have responsibility for funding people who use the service and monitoring its quality. Healthwatch is an independent consumer champion that gathers and represents the views of the public about health and social care services in England.
The provider had been asked to complete a Provider Information Return (PIR) prior to this inspection. A PIR is information providers send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke with 1 person who used the service and 11 relatives about their experience of the care provided. We carried out observations on all 3 households within Westlands to assess people’s experiences of living there. We used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI). SOFI is a way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us.
We spoke with 12 members of staff including a team leader, members of the housekeeping team, the registered manager, the care manager, a care co-ordinator and a quality assurance manager.
We reviewed a range of records. This included 6 people's care records and/or medication records. A variety of documents relating to the management of the service, including policies, training records, maintenance records, 2 recruitment fil