Archived: Woodlands Care Home

We found the provider had taken action following our last visit to improve recruitment procedures and quality assurance monitoring within the service.

The relatives we spoke with told us they were kept informed about their family member's welfare. One relative said, 'they let us know if there have been any changes and involve us.' Relatives also told us they sometimes attended relatives meetings and were invited to social events such as a Christmas party and a summer barbeque.

We observed lunch being served and saw that staff assisted people in a sensitive manner, taking their time and explaining what was being served and what would happen next. We saw that people's requests for support were responded to promptly. We found that people's needs were assessed and care plans developed that considered any risks to people's welfare and these were updated at regular intervals or as people's needs changed.

We found that people were protected from abuse. Staff had received safeguarding training and were aware of their responsibilities in relation to reporting concerns and keeping people safe. People told us they felt safe in the home.

We found that there were gaps in the staff recruitment procedures for the home that meant the provider could not be assured that staff working at the home were suitable to work with vulnerable adults.

The provider did not have adequate systems in place for monitoring the quality of the service.

We saw that pre-admission assessments had been completed prior to people moving into the home and people, their relatives, representatives and relevant healthcare professionals had been involved in this process. Care plans had been developed and risk assessments completed and these were reviewed on a regular basis. People told us they were well cared for and one relative said, "I have never had a moments worry about (their) care". People were supported to take part in activities such as bingo and singing and dancing.

The home was clean, warm and generally well maintained. Health and safety checks were being completed including regular checks in relation to fire safety.

Staff told us there was always enough staff on duty and there were a range of staff in different roles to support the smooth running of the home.

There was an effective system in place for making complaints and a visitor told us that staff listened to any issues that were raised.