Willowmead Court

Updated 26 September 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

The inspection team consisted of one inspector.

Service and service type

This service provides care and support to people living in specialist ‘extra care’ housing. Extra care housing is purpose-built or adapted single household accommodation in a shared site or building. The accommodation is rented and is the occupant’s own home. People’s care and housing are provided under separate contractual agreements. CQC does not regulate premises used for extra care housing; this inspection looked at people’s personal care and support service.

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. Inspection activity started on 3 September 2019 and ended on 9 September 2019. We visited the office location on 3 September 2019.

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 three people who used the service and one relative and received feedback from two social care professionals. We spoke with six members of staff including the regional manager, registered manager, care co-ordinator, care workers and one agency staff member.

We reviewed a range of records. This included three people’s care records and multiple 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, policies and procedures and quality assurance records.

Updated 26 September 2019

About the service

Willowmead Court is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care to people living in specialist extra care housing. The service can support up to 12 people in a purpose built complex of 12 individual apartments, designed to enable people over the age of 60 to retain as much independence, choice and control over their lives as possible.

At the time of our inspection 12 people were in receipt of personal care. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also consider any wider social care provided.

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

The provider’s quality monitoring systems were not always followed which meant the provider could not be assured that people received safe, quality care. The provider's policies and procedures were not always reviewed within their own time scales and did not always reference current legislation or national guidance. Audits and checks completed by the registered manager and care co-ordinator did not always identify areas we found during our inspection. The regional manager and registered manager took immediate action to rectify this. We have made a recommendation about quality assurance systems.

In all other ways the service was being well managed. People received their medicines as prescribed and the service had good oversight of risks and implemented appropriate safe measures. Staff told us there was good team work and the registered manager and care co-ordinator were supportive. People's views were sought in 'resident meetings' and surveys and action was taken in response to suggestions raised.

The service understood people’s communication needs. However, the registered manager was not familiar with regulation about people’s communication needs called the Accessible Information Standard (AIS) and this was not referenced within the provider’s policy and procedure. We have made a recommendation about the AIS.

People told us the service supported them to participate in activities to meet their interests. Information contained in people's care plans was personalised and included people's preference and background. All staff we spoke with demonstrated a sound knowledge of people's needs and preferences. People understood how to make a complaint and a robust complaints policy and procedure was in place. The service planned to improve information captured about people’s end of life care and had received training in this.

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. People's needs were assessed and delivered in line with current guidance. Staff co-ordinated with each other or agencies to provide consistent, effective, timely care. People benefited from suitably trained staff to meet their needs.

People received care which consistently promoted their privacy, dignity or independence. People and relatives said staff treated them well. We observed staff were caring in their interactions and people appeared relaxed in staff company.

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 2 February 2017).

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.