Woodrow Cottage

Updated 7 March 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

This inspection was carried out by 2 inspectors.

Service and service type

Woodrow Cottage 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. Woodrow Cottage 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. A new manager had been in post for 7 months and had submitted an application to register, which was subsequently approved.

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

During the inspection we spoke with 2 people living at the home, the manager and 8 support workers. We observed the interactions between staff and people living at the home. We looked at a range of records including support plans for 3 people, recruitment files for 2 staff and the manager, training records, risk assessments and medicines records. We also looked at information regarding the arrangements for monitoring the quality and safety of the service provided within the home. Following the inspection visit we received feedback from 3 relatives and 3 community health and social care professionals.

Updated 7 March 2023

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ is the guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements about services supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people and providers must have regard to it.

About the service

Woodrow Cottage is a residential care home providing personal care to 7 people at the time of the inspection. The service can support up to 8 people. Personal care was being provided by a separate agency to one person living in the annex. This started the week of the inspection.

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

Right Support: Care plans contained sufficient detail for staff to support people to lead the lives they wanted. However, there were some inconsistencies which meant there was a risk of support not being provided in a person-centred way. Medicines records were not always accurately completed. Staff knew people well and we observed positive interactions.

We have made a recommendation in relation to medicine recording.

People living in the main house 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. This had not always been the experience of the person living in the annex.

Right Care:

Care was mostly person centred for people living in the main house. The person living in the annex had not always received care promoting their dignity and human rights. There were some instances of inappropriate language but staff had been open to learning when this was raised. Improvements were planned in care planning to promote independence and set longer term goals.

Right Culture:

There were some instances where language and care planning did not always support people to lead inclusive and empowered lives. The provider was working with the local authority in order to improve the service. Changes had been made by the local authority to the staffing for the annex as the person living there had not been receiving a service in line with the values and attitudes they should expect. Relatives and professional were positive about the changes being made in the service.

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 21 September 2022).

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service. It was also prompted in part due to concerns received about the care provided to a person living in the annex.

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.

Due to changes made within the service by the local authority shortly before the inspection, we found no evidence during this inspection that people were at risk of harm from this concern. Please see the safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led sections of this full report.

We have found evidence that the provider needs to make improvements. Please see the relevant key question sections of this full report.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Woodrow Cottage on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Enforcement and Recommendations

We have identified breaches in relation to governance and auditing systems 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.