CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at The Willows Care Home
Rated Outstanding: inspectors found the home performing exceptionally well.
- Safe?
- Good
- People said they felt safe, staff responded promptly to requests for help, and recruitment, medicines, infection control and accident reviews were managed safely.
- Effective?
- Good
- People had needs assessments and reviewed care plans. Staff had suitable training, people received healthcare support, and food and nutrition were well managed.
- Caring?
- Outstanding
- Staff were observed to be kind, respectful, patient and attentive. Inspectors found a strong person-centred culture that supported dignity, privacy, independence and emotional wellbeing.
- Responsive?
- Outstanding
- Care was planned around individual needs and preferences. Activities were varied and engaging, and the home had highly praised arrangements for end of life care.
- Well-led?
- Outstanding
- Inspectors found exceptional leadership, clear responsibilities, strong staff development and thorough quality checks. People and families were involved in improving the home.
What inspectors found, December 2018
Rated Outstanding; inspectors found exceptionally caring, personalised and well-managed care, with Safe and Effective rated Good.
Inspectors made an unannounced, comprehensive visit on 04 December 2018. They reviewed records, spoke with people living at the home, relatives, staff and health professionals, and observed care.
The home was rated Outstanding overall. Caring, Responsive and Well-led were Outstanding. Safe and Effective were Good. Inspectors found people received personalised care from kind, patient staff, and that medicines, staffing, recruitment, food and infection control were managed safely.
People and relatives praised the care, activities, food and welcoming atmosphere. Inspectors also found particularly strong end of life care, excellent links with health professionals and effective systems for listening to people and improving the service.
The rating means the home was performing exceptionally well overall at the time of this inspection. Safe and Effective being rated Good means these areas met the expected standard, rather than the highest rating.
Kind and respectful care
Staff consistently treated people with dignity and respect. They adapted their approach to each person and supported emotional wellbeing.
“Without exception we saw staff interactions towards people who lived at the home centred upon equal relationships, respect and dignity.” from the report
Personalised support
Care was planned with people and their families and kept under review. Staff understood people's individual needs and preferences.
“People's care and support had been planned proactively and in partnership with them.” from the report
End of life care
The home had achieved the highest award in the NHS Gold Standards Framework for End of Life Care. A new family suite had also been built for people nearing the end of life.
“The Willows continued to be recognised by the NHS Gold Standards Framework (GSF) for End of Life Care and had received the highest possible award available, Platinum.” from the report
Activities and engagement
People had access to varied activities chosen around their interests. Inspectors saw people enjoying group activities and being encouraged to take part.
“The activities were structured, varied and thoughtful.” from the report
Strong leadership
The management team had clear responsibilities and used training, handovers, feedback and audits to support improvement.
“We found the service had clear lines of responsibility and accountability with a structured management team in place.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How do you currently review staffing levels to make sure there are enough staff to respond promptly to people's needs?
- 02How are each person's care plans updated when their needs, preferences or health change?
- 03How do you currently provide and coordinate end of life care with families and health professionals?
- 04What activities are available now, and how are they chosen around each person's interests?
- 05How can families see the results of current surveys, audits and other quality checks?
This was an unannounced comprehensive inspection covering the whole service, including the premises and care provided; people receiving end of life care were not present during the visit. This explanation was written from the published report of 25 December 2018 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 Willows Care Home
2 rated inspections over 2 years: the service has held its Outstanding rating throughout.
- December 2018Outstandingcurrent ratingstayed OutstandingSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: OutstandingResponsive: OutstandingWell-led: Outstanding
- July 2016OutstandingSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: OutstandingResponsive: GoodWell-led: Outstanding
- June 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- August 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- January 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- February 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- January 2011
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 11 January 2011.
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.
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32 live-in carers within about an hour of Blackpool
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 £1,250 a week. 31 can care for a couple. 12 years' experience on average.
“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.”
“He developed a close affinity with Terence, spending time talking with him before he retired to bed and looking after his needs during the night.”
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.