Woodrow House

Updated 6 March 2020

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 Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

The inspection team consisted of one inspector.

Service and service type

Woodrow House is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a 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 had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection

We gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because the service is small and people are often out and we wanted to be sure there would be people at home to speak with us.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We also contacted Healthwatch Stockport to see if they held any information. Healthwatch is an independent consumer champion that gathers and represents the views of the public about health and social care services in England.

The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We met or spoke with all seven people who used the service about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with seven members of staff including the registered manager, unit manager, deputy manager, senior care workers and care workers. We also spoke with a speech and language therapist, an assistant psychologist and an occupational therapist.

We reviewed a range of records. This included three people’s care records and multiple medicines records. We looked at a variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures, audits and quality systems.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at training data and communication tools. We also spoke with relative to explore their experience of the care at Woodrow House.

Updated 6 March 2020

About the service

Woodrow House is a residential care home providing personal care to 7 people with learning disabilities and/or autistic spectrum disorder at the time of the inspection. The service can support up to 9 people.

Woodrow House accommodates 7 people in one adapted building. The service has been developed and designed in line with the principles and values that underpin Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. This ensures that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes. The principles reflect the need for people with learning disabilities and/or autism to live meaningful lives that include control, choice, and independence. People using the service receive planned and co-ordinated person-centred support that is appropriate and inclusive for them.

Not everyone who used the service received personal care. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also consider any wider social care provided.

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

People were protected from the risk of abuse and avoidable harm by staff who understood how to recognise and respond to concerns. People were happy living in the home and felt safe. Risks were well managed. Medicines were managed safely, and staff worked with other healthcare professionals to meet people's needs.

Transitions into Woodrow House were meticulously planned and progressed at a pace to suit each person. People received highly detailed and individualised communication plans to support their decision making. This ensured they had access to appropriate information in a format they could understand. 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 received personalised care and support specific to their needs and preferences. There was an excellent understanding of seeing each person as an individual, with their own social and cultural diversity, values and beliefs. Staff received training in equality and diversity to ensure the key values of kindness, respect, compassion, dignity in care and empowerment were present in people's day to day care.

Staff worked in a highly person-centred way to find innovative and individual approaches to meet people's communication needs. People were enabled to communicate in ways which were meaningful for them. Staff engaged with people effectively and worked consistently to remove barriers to communication. There was a collaborative approach to activities which meant all staff were involved in ensuring people participated in activities of their choice. Staff demonstrated passion and commitment to helping people achieve their goals and realise their aspirations.

Staff received outstanding support from the management team both at a professional and personal level. Staff had completed high quality training that ensured they were confident and competent at delivering person centred care. Staff were encouraged and supported to develop their skills and follow a career progression within the service. The provider ensured their practices were in line with current good practice, guidance and legislation. There was a focus on continuous development.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection

This service was registered with us on 10/01/2019 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.