Archived: Willowdene

Updated 11 October 2016

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 was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

This inspection was carried out by one inspector on 4 August 2016. We gave 48 hours’ notice, as the service is sometimes unoccupied and we wanted to be sure that someone would be available to speak with us.

Before our inspection, the manager completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks for some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. Other information we looked at about the service included statutory notifications. A notification is information about important events which the provider is required to tell us about by law.

During this inspection we met with one person who used the service, the manager and three members of care staff. A fourth member of care staff emailed feedback to us after this inspection.

Because the person we met, who used the service, was not able to tell us in detail about their care, we used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI). SOFI is a way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us.

We looked at care records and a selection of medical and health related records for four people who used the service. We also looked at the records for three members of staff in respect of training and support. In addition, we looked at a selection of records that related to the management and day to day running of the service.

Updated 11 October 2016

Willowdene provides residential accommodation, as a short break service, for people who have a learning disability, mental health needs, physical disability or sensory impairment. At the time of this inspection nine people were using the service on a regular basis, although only one person at a time could stay overnight.

The service had a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered 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.

The service had processes in place to help ensure people using the service were safe. Staff knew how to recognise signs of possible abuse and knew the correct procedures for reporting concerns. There were enough well trained staff to support people and appropriate recruitment checks were carried out before staff began working in the service.

Identified risks to people’s safety were recorded on an individual basis and there was guidance for staff to be able to know how to support people safely and effectively. Medicines were managed and administered safely and people received their medicines as prescribed.

People were supported effectively by staff who were well trained, skilled and knowledgeable in their work. All new members of staff completed an induction and staff were supported well by the manager.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is required by law to monitor the operation of the Mental Capacity Act 2005, Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS), and to report on what we find. The manager and staff understood the requirements of the MCA.

People had enough to eat and drink and enjoyed their meals. When needed, people’s intake of food and drinks were monitored and recorded. Relevant information was shared promptly with people’s families or full time home carers if any healthcare needs or concerns were identified.

Staff were caring and attentive. People were treated with respect and staff preserved people’s dignity. People were encouraged and supported to be as independent as possible and enjoyed activities and hobbies of their choice.

Before using the service, assessments were completed with people to ensure their needs could be met. People were involved in planning their care and received support that was individual to their needs. Risk assessments explained any action that was required to remove or minimise any identified risks.

People using the service and their families or full time home carers were supported to raise any concerns or make a complaint if needed. Any concerns were listened to with appropriate responses and action taken where possible.

The service was well run and people’s needs were being met appropriately. Communication between the manager, staff, people using the service and their families or full time home carers was frequent and effective.

There were a number of systems in place in order to ensure the quality of the service provided was regularly monitored and regular audits were carried out by the manager in order to identify any areas that needed improvement.