Wilbraham House

Updated 6 October 2021

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.

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 two 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

Wilbraham House 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 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.

What we did before the inspection

The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report.

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with 13 people who used the service and seven relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with five members of staff including the registered manager, a team leader, care assistants, activity staff and one visiting healthcare professional. 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 reviewed a range of records. This included three people’s care records and multiple medication records. We reviewed staff training records and a variety of records relating to the management of the service.

Updated 6 October 2021

About the service

Wilbraham House is a residential care home providing personal care to 30 people at the time of the inspection. Wilbraham House can accommodate up to 35 people in one adapted building spread over three floors.

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

People were supported by safely recruited staff, who had the skills and knowledge to provide effective support. People were supported by staff that understood their responsibilities to safeguard people from the risk of harm. People’s medicines were managed safely, and staff followed infection control procedures.

Effective care planning and risk management was in place, which guided staff to provide support that met people’s needs and in line with their preferences. 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.

People had access to healthcare professionals and were supported with their nutritional needs. There were systems in place to ensure people received consistent care and support.

People had the opportunity to be involved in activities within the home and the local and wider community. People were supported to maintain relationships which were important to them. Feedback was gained from people, relatives and staff which promoted change within the home. People understood how to make a complaint and could be assured they would be listened to.

Systems were in place to monitor the service, which ensured people’s risks were mitigated and lessons were learnt when things went wrong. People and staff were able to feedback about the service which promoted an open culture. Staff and management were committed to providing a good standard of care with people’s needs being at the heart of the service.

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

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was good (published 12 December 2019).

Why we inspected

We undertook this inspection as part of a random selection of services rated Good and Outstanding to test the reliability of our new monitoring approach.

We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the Safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.

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.