Archived: Woodgate

Updated 5 July 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. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team:

The inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Service and service type:

Woodgate 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:

The inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection:

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. 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. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

We reviewed a range of records. This included two people’s care records and multiple medication records. We looked at two 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.

During the inspection:

We were introduced to everyone and spent time with people in the lounge. We joined four people for lunch. We spoke with the registered manager and two support staff.

We viewed a range of records. This included two people’s care records and multiple medication records. We looked at staff training records. We also looked at a variety of records relating to the management of the service including, health and safety records, audits and quality assurance reports.

After the inspection:

We telephoned three relatives to gain their experience of the care provided.

Updated 5 July 2019

About the service:

Woodgate is a residential care home that accommodates up to six people with a learning disability. People had complex communication needs and used body language, signs and facial expressions to let staff know how they were feeling. At the time of the inspection there were five people living at the service.

The care service has been developed and designed in line with the values that underpin the Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These values include choice, promotion of independence and inclusion. People with learning disabilities and autism using the service can live as ordinary a life as any citizen.

People’s experience of using this service:

The service had improved so people could be assured that they would be treated with dignity, privacy and respect at all times. People benefitted from being supported by staff who knew them well, including their likes, dislikes and preferred routines. Staff knew how to interact with people who had limited verbal communication, so they could understand their needs and respond to them.

The registered manager and staff team had worked in partnership with other professionals to minimise risks to people’s safety. After a challenging period, the environment had returned to one of calm and relatives reported that people were safe. There were arrangements to make sure there were enough staff available to support people when they needed it.

Staff received ongoing training and support to ensure they had the necessary skills and knowledge to meet people’s individual needs. 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 health care services in a timely manner and partnerships had been developed with a range of health care professionals. Mealtimes were social occasions where people sat together, and staff made sure people had enough to eat and drink. People continued to receive their medicines when they were needed.

Guidance was available for staff to follow about how to meet people’s health, social and personal care needs. People were given informed choices about how they would like to spend their time and asked if they had any concerns about their care. Activities took place in people’s home, including sensory sessions and people also had the opportunity to go out.

People benefitted from the open and inclusive culture that was implemented by effective leadership from the management team. There was a culture of learning from best practice and of working collaboratively with other professionals and health providers to ensure partnership working resulted in good outcomes for people. Relatives said the service was well run and they would recommend it to others.

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

Rating at last inspection and update: Requires Improvement (last report published)

The last rating for this service was requires improvement (published 24 20 June 2018) and there was one breach of regulation: People were not consistently treated with dignity and respect. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve. At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulation.

Why we inspected: This was a planned inspection based on the rating at the last inspection.

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.