OSJCT Westgate House

Updated 27 November 2019

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 Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

The inspection team consisted of two inspectors.

Service and service type

Westgate is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced on the first day. One inspector returned the next day to complete the inspection and provide feedback.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed the information we held about the service and the service provider. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We looked at notifications received from the provider. A notification is information about important events which the provider is required to tell us about by law. This ensured we were addressing any areas of concern. We received feedback from two social and health care professionals who regularly visited people who received care from the service. We received feedback from the commissioners. We also reviewed the provider’s previous inspection reports. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with eight people and five relatives. We looked at five people’s care records and six medicine administration records (MAR). During the inspection we spent time with people. We looked around the home and observed the way staff interacted with people. We spoke with the registered manager, the area manager, the head of care and nine staff which included, care staff, kitchen staff and domestic staff. We looked at three staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the registered manager to validate evidence found.

Updated 27 November 2019

About the service

Westgate House is a residential care home registered to provide personal and nursing care to older people. The service can support up to 61 people. There were 59 people living at the home at the time of the inspection.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

Westgate House’s team always sought to improve their care, treatment and support by identifying and implementing best practice. There were champions within the service who actively supported staff to make sure people experienced good healthcare outcomes that led to an outstanding quality of life. For example, the dementia champion ensured the provision of current research-based dementia care was implemented. They were always looking for new research to be involved in and be a part of the changes to good practice guidance.

Links with health and social care services were excellent and resulted in people receiving support in a timely manner. Staff at Westgate House worked effectively with the GP and Care Home Support Service’s (CHSS) mental health team and as a result reduced the use of anti-psychotic medicines. Staff were highly skilled to work with people that might displayed behaviour that challenged. There was no one at the service using antipsychotic medicines.

The registered manager had embraced the new oral health initiative in line with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines. They had gone above and beyond and ensured people had good access to dental services and had their oral hygiene needs met.

The service had been designed around people’s needs and creative ways had been used to help people be as independent as possible. A great deal of time and effort had been spent by the management team and staff in designing and decorating the home. As a result, it provided a stimulating environment, which not only met people’s specific needs but also promoted socialising.

The provider had successfully adopted the 'Dignity plus project’. This aimed at adapting the environment by improving lighting and reducing noise levels. There were different areas for people to use for their preferred activities, and private spaces to spend time with their families or visitors. Themed destinations, such as a beach had been created which gave people living with dementia an opportunity to experience different experience.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. Staff had a particularly good understanding of when the principles of the Mental Capacity Act should be applied. People were supported to meet their nutritional needs and complimented the food at the home

People living at Westgate House told us they received safe care from skilled and knowledgeable staff. Staff knew how to identify and report any concerns. The provider had safe recruitment and selection processes in place.

Risks to people's safety and well-being were managed through a risk management process. There were sufficient staff deployed to meet people's needs. Medicines were managed safely, and people received their medicines safely and as prescribed.

People told us staff were caring. This ethos consistency enabled people to receive good care from staff who knew them well. Staff did all they could to promote independency and we saw examples of such practices.

The home was well-led by a registered manager who was committed to improving people’s quality of life and empowering staff. Significant changes had been implemented to support effective team working and improve people’s outcomes. The service had a clear management and staffing structure in place and staff worked well as a team. The provider had effective quality assurance systems in place to monitor the quality and safety of the service. Staff worked well with external social and health care professionals.

Rating at last inspection and update

The last rating for this service was Good (published 13 April 2017).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk