Willow Court

Updated 3 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.

This inspection took place on 16 November 2020 and was announced on the day of inspection prior to entering the service

Updated 3 December 2020

Willow Court is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection. The home is registered to provide accommodation and nursing care for up to 54 people, including older people and people living with dementia, some of whom were supported in a separate unit called ‘The Kingfisher Unit’ which specialised in providing care to people living with dementia.

We inspected the home on 7 and 8 November 2017. The inspection was unannounced. There were 50 people living in the home at the time of our inspection.

The home had a registered manager in post. The registered manager was not available at the time of this inspection. A registered manager is a person who has registered with CQC to manage the service. Like registered providers (‘the provider’) 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. In this report when we speak both about the company the area director, the registered manager and the acting manager we refer to them as being, ‘The registered persons’.

People were supported by staff who knew how to recognise abuse and how to respond to concerns. Risks in relation to people’s daily life were assessed and planned for to protect them from harm. There was evidence of organisational learning from significant incidents and events. Any concerns or complaints were handled effectively.

We found there were sufficient care and nursing staff available to keep people safe and meet their care and support needs. Staff worked well together in a mutually supportive way and communicated effectively, internally and externally.

Training and supervision systems were in place to provide staff with the knowledge and skills they required to meet people’s needs effectively. Staff provided end of life care in a sensitive and person-centred way.

Staff were kind and attentive in their approach and there was a friendly, relaxed atmosphere around the home and. People were provided with food and drink that met their individual needs and preferences. The overall physical environment and facilities in the home generally reflected people’s requirements.

People’s medicines were managed safely and staff worked closely with local healthcare services to ensure people had access to any specialist support they required. Systems were in place to ensure effective infection prevention and control.

CQC is required by law to monitor the operation of the Mental Capacity Act, 2005 (MCA) and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) and to report on what we find. DoLS are in place to protect people where they do not have capacity to make decisions and where it is considered necessary to restrict their freedom in some way, usually to protect themselves. At the time of our inspection, 22 people living in the home were subject to a DoLS authorisation. Staff understood the principles of the MCA and demonstrated their awareness of the need to obtain consent before providing care or support to people.

People were involved in giving their views on how the service was run and there was a range of audit and review systems in place to help monitor and keep improving the quality of the services provided.