West Dean

Updated 11 January 2020

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 was carried out by one inspector.

Service and service type

West Dean Care Home 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.

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 our last inspection and sought feedback from the local authority and Healthwatch. Healthwatch is an independent consumer champion that gathers and represents the views of the public about health and social care services in England.

We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

We spoke with the four people using the service and a visiting social care professional. We spoke with four members of staff including the registered manager, the deputy manager and two care workers. We reviewed a range of records. This included three people’s care records and all the medication records. A variety of records relating to the management of the service were also reviewed.

After the inspection

We reviewed additional information sent to us by the registered manager.

Updated 11 January 2020

About the service

West Dean Care Home is a residential care home that provides accommodation and personal care to 16 people who need support in order to maintain their mental health or who have a learning disability.

At the time of our inspection visit there were 15 people using the service all of whom had mental health support needs.

The service accommodates up to 16 people in one adapted building. There are 16 bedrooms arranged over three floors and a variety of communal areas. The service is a large home, bigger than most domestic style properties. The service was developed in line with the principles of Registering the Right Support. It is larger than current best practice guidance; however. the size of the service having a negative impact on people was mitigated by the building design fitting into the residential area and the other large domestic homes of a similar size.

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

People felt safe at the service and protected from the risk of abuse. Staff assessed risks to people’s health and safety and took action to keep them safe while maintaining their freedom. Sufficient staff were available to provide a timely response to people and provide safe care. People received their medicines as prescribed and medicines were managed safely.

Staff worked closely with other services to provide effective care and achieve good outcomes for people. A person said, “There’s a willingness to understand and to take up your problems and help you overcome them.”

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.

The service applied the principles and values of Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These ensure that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes that include control, choice and independence. The outcomes for people using the service reflected these principles by promoting choice and control, independence and inclusion. People's support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible for them to gain new skills and become more independent.

Staff were well trained and were given regular opportunities to review their work and identify their learning and development needs.

People were cared for by staff who were kind and showed empathy and understanding towards them. The atmosphere within the home was friendly and welcoming and staff were warm and considerate towards the people they cared for. People’s privacy was respected and their dignity maintained.

Staff were responsive to people’s individual needs and wishes and had an in-depth knowledge about each person. People were supported to access services outside the home and to pursue their own interests.

The service was well led by an experienced registered manager who was well regarded and respected by people using the service, staff and external professionals. Processes were in place to monitor and improve the quality of care. People were encouraged to be involved and given opportunities to provide feedback and put forward their ideas for 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 9 April 2017)

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.