CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at The Westwood
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors found safeguarding systems, risk assessments, staffing, recruitment and medicines management were effective. Infection prevention arrangements were also found to be suitable.
- Effective?
- Good
- People's needs and choices were assessed in detail. Staff received induction, supervision and training, and people were supported with food, fluids, healthcare and decisions about their care.
- Caring?
- Good
- Staff treated people with respect, dignity and equality. People and relatives were involved in care decisions and supported to develop independence.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care plans reflected people's routines, preferences and communication needs. People were supported to keep in touch with relatives and take part in meaningful activities in the community.
- Well-led?
- Good
- Inspectors found a person-centred culture, regular audits and evidence of learning from incidents. Some staff wanted to be more open in larger meetings, and smaller meetings were planned.
What inspectors found, July 2023
The Westwood is Rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with some worn areas and improvements planned for staff feedback.
This was the first inspection since the home registered in November 2021. Inspectors visited on 5 and 8 June 2023, spoke with people, relatives and staff, and checked care plans, risk assessments, medicines, recruitment and management records.
The home provides accommodation and personal care for up to three people with a learning disability and/or autistic people. All five areas were rated Good: safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led.
Inspectors found people were safe, treated with dignity and supported to make choices. Care was personalised, medicines were managed safely, and people were supported with health appointments, relationships, activities and independence.
Choice and control
People were involved in their care and supported to make choices in the least restrictive way. Staff used different communication methods to help people express themselves.
“People 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” from the report
Respectful care
Inspectors observed positive interactions. Staff understood people's individual needs, interests, privacy and dignity.
“People were cared for by staff who respected them as individuals.” from the report
Safe medicines
Medicines records were completed accurately and medicines were stored safely. Staff were trained and assessed as competent.
“Medicines were managed safely, and people received their medicines as prescribed.” from the report
Meaningful activities
People were supported to choose activities and use local community facilities. Inspectors saw evidence of activities including wheelchair football and the Duke of Edinburgh scheme.
“There was a strong emphasis on supporting people to attend meaningful activities in the local community.” from the report
Worn communal areas
minorSome skirting boards, doors and wall corners had scuffs, marks or chips from wheelchair use. Plans were in place to refurbish and protect these areas.
“Some communal areas of the home were quite worn due to scuffs from wheelchairs.” from the report
Staff meeting openness
needs fixingSome staff felt they could not be as open as they wanted in meetings attended by senior leaders. The home planned smaller meetings to address this.
“Some staff members felt they couldn't be as open as they would like to be during these meetings, as attendance numbers were high and included the senior leadership team.” from the report
Low survey response
minorThe response to relatives' and professionals' satisfaction questionnaires was low. The home planned to improve participation.
“The uptake of these questionnaires had been low, but there were plans in place to improve this process going forward.” from the report
- 01What refurbishment has been completed since the inspection to deal with the scuffs, marks and chips in communal areas?
- 02How would you support my relative's specific communication needs, including any communication aids they use?
- 03How would my relative be involved in reviewing their care plan, risk assessments and daily choices?
- 04How do you make sure staff can raise concerns openly, now that smaller staff meetings were planned?
- 05How will you keep relatives informed and encourage them to give feedback about the service?
This was the first inspection of the newly registered home and covered all five key questions, including the premises, care provided and infection prevention and control. This explanation was written from the published report of 4 July 2023 by an AI system and checked against the report text: every quoted line appears in the report. It is a guide to the report, not a substitute for it. Read the full report on cqc.org.uk.
Every inspection of The Westwood
Each visit the CQC has published, newest first, back to the day the home was registered.
- July 2023Goodcurrent ratingSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- November 2021
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 4 November 2021.
Ratings and report dates from the Care Quality Commission, Open Government Licence v3.0. A home can also be visited without a new rating being published, so the timeline shows published inspections.
Weigh the report against the rest
Fees, photos and reviews from families
How to read CQC ratings and reports
What to check when you visit
85 live-in carers within about an hour of Lancashire
These are self-employed carers on PrimeCarers, the introductory agency that runs this directory. Each has a profile with their own rates and reviews from families, and you choose who to talk to.
Most charge £980 to £1,260 a week. 78 can care for a couple. 11 years' experience on average.
“She understands the needs of an elderly person in the early stages of dementia and has treated my mother with great kindness and skill.”
“Thanks to Tracy, Dad was always immaculately dressed and clean, his meals were all home cooked and nutritionally well balanced and his home was always kept really clean and tidy.”
Every carer has had an enhanced DBS check in the last 18 months, ID and right-to-work checks and an online interview. Their skills and training are for you to check with them. Carers set their own rates, and who is free changes week to week.