11 February 2016
During a routine inspection
There was a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.
We were introduced to people throughout our visits and they welcomed us. People were relaxed, comfortable and confident in their home. We received positive comments about people’s views and experiences throughout our visits. Two relatives recently wrote in the homes survey, “We as a family are very happy with the care mum receives from all the managers and carers. Woodleaze is a wonderful care home” and “Mother is very happy here, everyone is very friendly and helpful, which is a great bonus in the home. Absolutely fantastic support”.
Staff involved in this inspection demonstrated a genuine passion for the roles they performed and individual responsibilities. Visions and plans for the future were understood and shared across the staff team. They embraced new initiatives with the support of the registered manager and colleagues. They continued to look at the needs of people who used the service and ways to improve these so that people felt able to make positive changes.
People experienced a lifestyle that met their individual expectations, capacity and preferences. There was a strong sense of empowering people wherever possible and providing facilities where independence would be encouraged and celebrated. People’s health, well-being and safety were paramount.
The registered manager listened to people and staff to ensure there were enough staff to meet people's needs. They demonstrated their responsibilities in recognising changing circumstances within the service and used a risk based approach to help ensure that staffing levels and skill mix was effective.
Staff had the knowledge and skills they needed to carry out their roles effectively. They enjoyed attending training sessions and sharing what they had learnt with colleagues. There was an emphasis on teamwork and unison amongst all staff at all levels.
People were supported to enjoy a healthy, nutritious, balanced diet whilst promoting and respecting choice. One person visiting told us, “The food is marvellous and very good quality. I have eaten meals here and it’s as good as our local pub”.
Staff had a good awareness of individuals' needs and treated people in a warm and respectful manner. They were knowledgeable about people's lives before they started using the service. Every effort was made to enhance this knowledge so that their life experiences remained meaningful. People were supported to maintain their personal interests and hobbies.
The registered manager understood their responsibility to comply with the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). For people who were assessed as not having capacity, records showed that their advocates or families and healthcare professionals were involved in making decisions.
People received appropriate care and support because there were effective systems in place to assess, plan, implement, monitor and evaluate people's needs. People were involved throughout these processes. This ensured their needs were clearly identified and the support they received was meaningful and personalised.
Regular monitoring and reviews meant that referrals had been made to appropriate health and social care professionals and where necessary care and support had been changed to accurately reflect people's needs.
People, relative and staff feedback was a vital part of the quality assurance system either through annual surveys, ‘residents’ meetings, complaints or reviews. They were listened to and action was taken to make improvements to their quality of life. The registered manager monitored and audited the quality of care provided striving to meet the ever changing needs of people living in the home.