Westlands Retirement Home

Updated 2 August 2018

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection checked whether the provider is 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.

The inspection took place on 18 July 2018 and was unannounced. The inspection team included two inspectors and an expert by experience. An expert by experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service. The expert by experience had experience of caring for older people.

Before the inspection the provider completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We reviewed the information included in the PIR along with information we held about the service, for example, statutory notifications. A notification is information about important events which the provider is required to tell us about by law.

Prior to the inspection we received written feedback about the service from a specialist nurse and three social workers, we also spoke with a pharmacist. During the inspection we spoke with five people and five relatives. We spoke with the registered manager, the deputy manager, five care staff, an activities co-ordinator, housekeeping, laundry and catering staff. We also spoke with a visiting health care professional. We reviewed records which included four people's care plans, three staff recruitment records and five staff supervision records and records relating to the management of the service. We reviewed the staff duty roster for the period 11 June to 18 July 2018.

A focused inspection of this service was last completed on 5 February 2018 to check upon the actions the providers had taken to meet the breaches found at our previous inspection completed on 12, 13 and 14 July 2017. We found the provider had taken the relevant actions to meet legal requirements.

Updated 2 August 2018

The inspection took place on 18 July 2018 and was unannounced.

Westlands Retirement 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. Westlands Retirement Home accommodates up to 51 people some of whom may be living with dementia, across two linked units. On the day of the inspection, 49 people were accommodated.

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.

People were kept safe from the risk of abuse as staff had undertaken relevant training and understood their responsibilities to protect people. Risks to people both as individuals and from their environment had been identified, assessed and managed safely. There were sufficient staff to provide people’s care. The provider followed safe staff recruitment practices. People’s medicines were safely managed within the service by trained staff who followed good practice guidance. Staff followed infection control guidance to ensure people were kept safe from the risk of acquiring an infection. Learning took place following incidents and processes were in place to identify any trends that needed to be addressed for people.

People’s care needs were assessed prior to their admission. The planning of their care considered good practice guidance, to ensure it was effective. Staff were supported in their role through the provision of an induction, on-going training, supervision and professional development. People were supported to eat and drink sufficient amounts for their needs. Risks to people from dehydration and malnutrition were assessed and managed effectively. Processes were in place to promote effective working both within the team and with other services. People were supported to access healthcare professionals as required and staff had undertaken relevant training to support them in recognising promptly if people’s health was deteriorating. Parts of the service were being refurbished and enhanced for people’s use and enjoyment. 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.

We observed care and support was given to people throughout the day, in a kindly manner. Staff supported people to be involved in making decisions about their care where possible. People were treated with dignity and respect by the staff who provided their care.

People received care that was responsive to their needs. People and their families were involved in their care planning, which reflected their care needs and preferences. Staff had undertaken relevant training to enable them to be responsive to the needs of people whose behaviours could be challenging. People were provided with daily activities to stimulate them and could have visitors when they wished. People’s concerns and complaints had been used to improve the quality of the care provided. Staff had completed training and were undertaking further training to enable them to support people appropriately at the end of their life.

People told us the service was well-led. The new registered manager had fostered a positive culture within the service, with staff feeling pride and commitment to their work. The registered manager had submitted notifications as legally required. People’s views on the service were sought and used to improve the service. Processes were in place to assess and monitor the quality of the service provided. The service had good working relationships with local services.