Westerlands Care Village

Updated 1 July 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 completed by 2 inspectors and an Expert by Experience who made phones calls to people’s friends and relatives. 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

Westerlands Care Village is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and/or personal care as a single package under 1 contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. Westerlands Care Home 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 a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

This 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 contracts and safeguarding teams 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.

During the inspection

We spoke with 10 members of staff including care staff, senior staff, the cook, laundry assistant, the admin assistant, the deputy manager, the registered manager and the regional support manager. We also spoke with 2 visiting health care professionals and received email feedback from another healthcare professional who regularly visits the service. We spoke 7 relative and 1 friend and observed staff interactions and 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 looked around the home to review the facilities available for people and the infection prevention and control procedures in place. We also looked at a range of documentation including care files and daily records for 7 people and medication administration records for 8 people. We looked at 4 staff files for recruitment and supervision and reviewed documentation relating to the management and running of the service such as staff rotas, training and audits.

Updated 1 July 2023

About the service

Westerlands Care Village is a residential care home comprising of 2 different buildings, Elloughton House and Brough Lodge. Brough Lodge is also split into 3 separate units, each with their own communal areas. The service provides personal and nursing care to people aged 65 and above, people living with dementia and those with a physical disability. The service can support up to 62 people. At the time of inspection 45 people were using the service.

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

The quality and the safety of the service has improved. Risks to people’s safety and wellbeing were managed by skilled and knowledgeable staff. People received their medicines safely and as prescribed. The safety of the building and equipment had been maintained and a programme of redecoration was underway.

Staff were recruited safely and there were enough staff to meet people’s needs. Staff understood different types of abuse and internal and external reporting processes. Safeguarding concerns had been appropriately referred and action taken by the provider when required.

People received a varied diet and their preferences were catered for and specialised diets were provided to those who needed them. Most people received appropriate support at mealtimes, though sometimes opportunities to engage people were missed and the management team advised they would address this.

Induction, training and supervision ensured staff had the required skills and knowledge for their roles. Staff worked closely with relevant professionals to ensure people received appropriate care when they needed it.

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.

Quality assurance systems were in place and effectively operated which had a positive impact on the service people received. Systems were in place which enabled people, their relatives and staff to provide feedback on the service and suggestions for improvements. Information from feedback was used to further develop the service.

The management team were open and honest if things went wrong, though written apologies were not always sent.

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

Rating at last inspection and update

The last rating for this service was requires improvement (published 7 January 2022). 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 regulations.

At our last inspection we recommended the provider should seek advice from a reputable source regarding the support and quality monitoring of agency staff. At this inspection we found improvements had been made.

Why we inspected

We carried out an unannounced focused inspection of this service on 9 November 2021. Breaches of legal requirements were found. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve safe care and treatment, person-centred care and good governance.

We undertook this focused inspection to check they had followed their action plan and to confirm they now met legal requirements. This report only covers our findings in relation to the Key Questions Safe, Effective and Well-led which contain those requirements.

For those key questions not inspected, we used the ratings awarded at the last inspection to calculate the overall rating. The overall rating for the service has changed from requires improvement to good. This is based on the findings at this inspection.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Westerlands Care Village on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

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.

Recommendations

We have made a recommendation regarding duty of candour policies and systems.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.