Willowmead Care Home

Updated 13 October 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 1 inspector and an 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

Willowmead Care Home is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and/or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. Willowmead 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 not a registered manager in post. Since April 2023, the provider had appointed a new manager to oversee the service.

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 (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with 5 people who use the service about their experience of the care provided. Where people were unable to talk with us, we observed people’s interactions with staff. We spoke with the manager, deputy manager and 4 members of staff. We also spoke with the nominated individual. The nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider. We reviewed 6 people’s care files and 5 staff personnel files. We looked at the provider’s arrangements for managing safeguarding concerns, risk and medicines management, staff training, induction, and supervision data. We also looked at the service’s quality assurance arrangements.

Updated 13 October 2023

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee autistic people and people with a learning disability the choices, dignity, independence, and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. Right support, right care, right culture is the statutory guidance which supports CQC to make assessments and judgements about services providing support to people with a learning disability and/or autistic people. We considered this guidance as there were people using the service who have a learning disability and or who are autistic.

About the service

Willowmead Care Home is a residential care home providing the regulated activity of personal care to up to 60 people. The service provides support to older people and people living with dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 49 people using the service within 2 houses [Hatfield House and Wickham House].

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

Right Support:

Staff did not do everything they could to avoid restraining people. There was a lack of evidence to demonstrate how the provider learned from those incidents and how they might be avoided or reduced in the future.

People had a choice about their living environment and were able to personalise their rooms.

Staff supported people to take part in activities.

Staff communicated with people in ways that met their needs.

Staff supported people with their medicines in a way that achieved the best possible health outcome. We have made a recommendation about medicines being stored securely and PRN protocols being developed and implemented.

Right Care:

People received care that was kind. Staff understood and responded to people’s individual needs.

The service had enough staff to meet people’s needs and keep them safe, but improvements were required to ensure the skill mix of staff was appropriate and the use of agency staff reduced. We have made a recommendation about this, staff training and induction.

Risks people might face were mostly assessed and recorded.

Right Culture:

Staff knew and understood people well and were responsive to their needs.

Staff respected people’s choices and wherever possible, accommodated their wishes.

Staff felt respected and supported by the manager and deputy manager.

The service apologised to people, and those important to them, when things went wrong.

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 Requires Improvement [Published October 2022]. The service remains rated Requires Improvement following this inspection. This service has now been rated Requires Improvement for the last 2 consecutive inspections.

Why we inspected

The inspection was prompted in part due to concerns received about safeguarding and risk. A decision was made for us to inspect and examine those risks. We found that improvements were required for safeguarding, risk and to the provider’s quality assurance arrangements.

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.

You can see what action we have asked the provider to take at the end of this full report.

Enforcement and Recommendations

We have identified breaches in relation risk management, safeguarding and quality assurance at this inspection.

Please see the action we have told the provider to take at the end of this report.

Follow up

We will request an action plan from the provider to understand what they will do to improve the standards of quality and safety. We will work alongside the provider and local authority to monitor progress. We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.