Westward Care Home

Updated 4 December 2020

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 coronavirus pandemic we are conducting a thematic review of infection control and prevention measures in care homes.

The service was selected to take part in this thematic review which is seeking to identify examples of good practice in infection prevention and control. Due to concerns found during the thematic review we changed the inspection to a targeted inspection.

This inspection took place on 11 November 2020 and was announced.

Updated 4 December 2020

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection on 16 February 2019.

Westward Care Home provides care for people with a learning disability and associated conditions such as autism. On the day of our inspection there were 5 people living at the service.

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 does not require a registered manager.

We checked the service was working in line with ‘Registering the Right Support’, which makes sure services for people with a learning disability and/or autism receive services that are developed in line with national policy - including the national plan, building the right support - and best practice. For example, how the service ensured care was personalised, how people’s discharge if needed, was managed and people’s independence and links with their community promoted.

The care service has been developed and designed in line with the values that underpin the Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These values include choice, promotion of independence and inclusion. People with learning disabilities and autism using the service can live as ordinary a life as any citizen.

At the last inspection on the 17 August 2016, the service was rated Good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of Good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

Why the service is rated Good:

We met and spoke to all five people during our visit. However, people who lived at Westward Care Home had some communication difficulties due to their learning disability and associated conditions, such as autism. Therefore, they were not able to tell us verbally about all their experience of living there. We spent short periods of time with people seeing how they spent their day and observing the interactions between people and the staff supporting them.

People’s medicines were managed safely. Medicines were stored, given to people as prescribed and disposed of safely. Staff received medicine training and understood the importance of safe administration and management of medicines.

People who required it had extra staffing when they went out. Staff confirmed there were sufficient numbers of staff to meet people’s needs and to help keep them safe. Staff were recruited safely and checks carried out with the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) ensured they were suitable to work with vulnerable adults.

Staff had completed safeguarding training. Staff had a good knowledge of what constituted abuse and how to report any concerns. Staff understood what action they would take to protect people against harm and were confident any incidents or allegations would be fully investigated. Staff confirmed they’d have no hesitation reporting any issues to the provider.

All significant events and incidents were documented and analysed. Evaluation of incidents was used to help make improvements and keep people safe. Improvements helped to ensure positive progress was made in the delivery of care and support provided by the staff. Feedback to assess the quality of the service provided was sought from people living in the home, relatives, professionals and staff.

Staff had completed appropriate training and had the right skills and knowledge to meet people’s needs. New staff completed an induction programme and completed the Care Certificate (A nationally recognised training course for staff new to care) if they did not have any formal care qualifications. Staff meetings, one to one supervision of staff practice, and appraisals of performance were undertaken.

People’s risks were documented, monitored and managed well to ensure they remained safe. People lived full and active lives and were supported to access local areas and activities. Activities reflected people’s interests and individual hobbies. People were given a choice of meals, snacks and drinks they enjoyed whilst maintaining a healthy diet. People had input as much as they were able to in preparing meals and drinks.

People were engaged in different activities during our visit and enjoyed the company of the staff. People were busy; however, there was a happy, calm and relaxed atmosphere within the service.

People were supported to maintain good health through regular access to health and social care professionals, such as occupational therapists. The provider worked with external health and social care professionals to help ensure a co-ordinated approach to people’s care.

The service was responsive to people's individual needs and provided personalised care and support. People’s communication needs were known by staff. Staff had received training in how to support people with different communication needs. The provider had taken account of the Accessible Information Standard (AIS). The AIS is a requirement to help ensure people with a disability or sensory loss are given information they can understand, and the communication support they need. Staff adapted their communication methods dependent upon people’s needs, for example using simple questions. Information for people with cognitive difficulties and information about the service was available in an easy read version for those people who needed it.

People’s care records were detailed and personalised to meet individual needs. Staff understood people’s needs and responded when needed. People were not all able to be fully involved with their support plans, therefore family members or advocates supported staff to complete and review people’s support plans. People’s preferences were sought and respected.

People’s care and support was based on legislation and best practice guidelines; helping to ensure the best outcomes for people. People’s legal rights were upheld and consent to care was sought as much as possible. Care records were person centred and held full details on how people liked their needs to be met; considering people’s preferences and wishes. Overall, people’s individual equality and diversity preferences were known and respected. Information recorded included people’s previous medical and social history, and people’s cultural, religious and spiritual needs. People were treated with kindness and compassion by the staff who valued them. Staff had built strong relationships with people who lived there. Staff respected people’s privacy. People, or their representatives, were involved in decisions about the care and support people received.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

People could make choices about their day to day lives. The provider had a complaints policy in place and it was available in an easy read version. Staff knew people well and used this to gauge how people were feeling about the service.

The provider had an ethos of honesty and transparency. This reflected the requirements of the duty of candour. The duty of candour is a legal obligation to act in an open and transparent way in relation to care and treatment.

People lived in a service where the provider’s values and vision were embedded into the service, staff and culture. Staff told us the provider was approachable and made themselves available to people and staff. The provider had monitoring systems which enabled them to identify good practices and areas of improvement.