Woodlands

Updated 14 January 2020

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 inspection was completed by two inspectors (including a member of the medicines team) and one Expert by Experience. 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

Woodlands 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 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.

During the inspection

We spoke with seven people who used the service and three relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with nine members of staff including the provider’s regional director, registered manager, senior care workers, care workers and domestic staff. We also spoke with one health professional who visits regularly.

We reviewed a range of records. This included two people’s care records in detail plus spot checks of multiple other care and 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.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at training data, quality assurance records and service development plans.

Updated 14 January 2020

About the service

Woodlands is a residential care home providing accommodation and personal care to 37 people at the time of the inspection. The service can support up to 41 people. The accommodation is provided in a purpose-built building over two floors accessible via a lift with a variety of communal areas. Within the ground floor there is a unit specialising in providing care to people living with dementia. There are extensive accessible grounds and an internal courtyard. The home is situated in a semi-rural area near to King’s Lynn.

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

People using the service and their relatives was highly complimentary about the care and life within Woodlands. All the people we spoke with felt safe and recommended the service.

Staff were aware of how to safeguard people from potential abuse. Systems were in place to ensure risks were suitably assessed and mitigated for. The provider had robust recruitment procedures and had enough staff to ensure people felt safe and well cared for. The provider was thorough when reviewing incidents to ensure appropriate lessons were learnt. People received their medicines when they should and were enabled to access healthcare whenever required.

People's health and well-being were well supported and monitored. People's nutritional intake was well supported. Staff were appropriately trained and understood the individual care needs and preferences of people living in the service. The home was suitably adapted and dementia friendly, with a variety of accessible communal spaces and garden. There were some aspects of the home that required updating but the home already had a development plan to address these issues. 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.

All the people we spoke with were very complimentary about the kindness of staff. We observed warm and compassionate care which demonstrated strong relationships and understanding of people's needs and preferences. People's privacy and independence were promoted. People were regularly asked for feedback on the care and support they received.

People had individualised care plans which supported greater understanding of the person's life and preferences. There was creative support for individual people to purse their interests and well-being however there was not a consistent provision of meaningful group activities to promote health and well-being. The service was pro-active in seeking and responding to any concerns or complaints people may have had about the service. People had been consulted regarding their end of life care wishes when appropriate and were provided with compassionate end of life care.

The feedback from both staff and people using the service regarding the registered manager was

unanimously positive. The registered manager was seen to be accessible, hard-working and passionate about providing a quality and caring service. There were good quality assurance systems in place and people were regularly consulted on the quality of care provided. Staff were provided with appropriate support and the team spirit was strong.

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 15 February 2017).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

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.