Winchley Home

Updated 1 February 2022

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

As part of CQC’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic we are looking at how services manage infection control and visiting arrangements. This was a targeted inspection looking at the infection prevention and control measures the provider had in place. We also asked the provider about any staffing pressures the service was experiencing and whether this was having an impact on the service.

This inspection took place on 14 January 2022 and was announced. We gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection.

Updated 1 February 2022

This inspection took place on 11 September 2018 and was unannounced.

Winchley Home was last inspected on 19 April 2017 and was rated as Requires Improvement. At that inspection, we found two breaches of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. Following the last inspection, we asked the provider to complete an action plan to show what they would do and by when to improve the key questions Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well Led to at least Good.

Winchley Home 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. Winchley Home provides personal care for up to 41 people. At the time of our inspection, there were 35 people living there. Winchley Home provides personal care to people living with a range of health conditions, including people living with dementia.

At this inspection we found improvements had been made in all the areas identified at the previous inspection. This meant the service had met all the outstanding legal requirements from the last inspection and is now rated as Good.

There was a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the CQC to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are 'registered persons'. egistered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

Staff knew how to keep people safe from abuse. Staff were confident that if they had any concerns they would be addressed quickly by the registered manager. Risks to people had been assessed and regularly reviewed. Actions had been taken to mitigate these where necessary. Checks had been made on the environment to ensure the service was safe. Equipment to support people with their mobility, such as hoists had been checked to ensure they were fit for purpose and safe for people. The management of people’s medicines was safe and robust and people received these as the prescriber intended. People were protected from the risks associated with cross infection and the premises were clean and odour free.

There were enough staff to ensure people were safe and had their needs met in a timely way. Staff had the skills and knowledge to carry out their roles and were supported by a system of induction, relevant training, one-to-one supervision and appraisals.

Staff understood their responsibilities under MCA, people's capacity had been assessed and when required best interest’s meetings had been held and recorded.

People told us that they enjoyed the food. People had a choice of meals and were supported to maintain a healthy diet in line with their choices, preferences and any healthcare needs. People's health was assessed and monitored. Staff took prompt action when they noticed any changes or decline in health. Staff worked closely with health professionals and followed guidance given to them to ensure people received safe and effective care.

Staff encouraged people to make decisions about their day-to-day care and remain as independent as possible. People's dignity and privacy was maintained by staff. People told us staff were kind and caring. Staff maintained people's dignity and encouraged choice. Staff supported people to maintain friendships and relationships. People's friends and family could visit when they wanted with no restriction to this.

There was a programme of meaningful activities available for people to enjoy. Care records were personalised detailed how people wished to be supported. They provided clear information to enable staff to provide appropriate and effective care and support. Risks were clearly identified and included guidance for staff on the actions they should take to minimise any risk of harm.

Information about how to complain was displayed in the service. People and relatives knew how to complain and were confident that any concerns they had would be listened to and acted on. People and their relatives were asked their opinions of the service and these were acted on. Staff meetings were held regularly and their feedback valued. Staff told us that they felt supported by the registered manager and that the service was a good place to work.

Audits were in place to monitor the quality of the service people received. The registered manager reviewed the recorded accident and incidents. These were analysed to identify any patterns or trends and plans were put in place to reduce the risk of them happening again in the future. Improvements to the detail and quality of these had led to an increase of good quality care provided to people. A service improvement plan had been developed and the implementation of this was advanced. A programme of investment and modernisation was underway which had enhanced the facilities available for people to use and enjoy. The provider was actively engaged with the service, people living at Winchley home, and staff working there knew them well.

Services that provide health and social care to people are required to inform the CQC of important events that happen in the service. CQC check that appropriate action had been taken. The registered manager had submitted notifications to CQC in an appropriate and timely manner in line with CQC guidelines.