The Willows

Updated 21 August 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. 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

This consisted of one inspector.

Service and service type

The Willows 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

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. 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 three people using the service. We spoke with eight members of staff, including the registered manager, operations manager, senior support workers and support workers. We spent time with everyone who used the service and observed activities and interactions between people and staff.

We reviewed a range of records including four people’s care records, four medicine administration records (MAR), three staff files, training records and other documents and records related to the management of the service, such as audits and supervision records.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at training data and quality assurance records. We spoke with two health and social care professionals and three relatives.

Updated 21 August 2019

About the service

The Willows is a residential care home providing personal care to up to 10 people with a learning disability and associated physical disabilities. At the time of our inspection 10 people were living there. The home is a bungalow with a large garden. In addition to bedrooms the home had a communal lounge, dining room and an office for staff.

The service was a large home, bigger than most domestic style properties. It was registered for the support of up to 10 people. Ten people were using the service. This 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. There were deliberately no identifying signs, intercom, cameras, industrial bins or anything else outside to indicate it was a care home. Staff were also discouraged from wearing anything that suggested they were care staff when coming and going with people.

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

People and staff spoke positively about The Willows. We observed that there was a very homely atmosphere and that people and staff had good, caring relationships.

People took part in activities they enjoyed and were able to access the community. Visitors were welcomed. The home had good relationships with health and social care professionals. People had a healthy, varied diet and ate food they enjoyed.

People told us they felt safe and they were protected by staff who understood their responsibilities and how to keep people safe. People who did not express themselves verbally demonstrated through their behaviour that they were on friendly and trusting terms with staff. People were protected from risks by detailed, regularly updated risk assessments.

People had up-to-date care plans which detailed their strengths and promoted their independence. Their communication needs were assessed and recorded in detail and staff were observed appropriately interacting with people. Care plans and other information were regularly reviewed and involved people, their relatives and relevant external professionals such as therapists or social service professionals.

There were enough staff to meet people’s needs. Staff were well trained and understood the needs of the people they supported. The home was clean and tidy and good infection control practices were being followed.

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 procedures in the service supported good 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 the principles and values of Registering the Right Support 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.

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 11 November 2016).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

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

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.