CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at The Willows
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors found enough staff, safe recruitment, well-managed medicines and detailed risk assessments. The home was clean and staff understood safeguarding procedures.
- Effective?
- Good
- People received good support with healthcare, nutrition and communication. Staff were trained, supervised and worked well with health and social care professionals.
- Caring?
- Good
- Staff treated people with kindness, dignity and respect. People were encouraged to express their views and develop their independence.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care plans were highly personalised and regularly reviewed. People were supported with their interests, relationships, community activities and communication needs.
- Well-led?
- Good
- Inspectors found a positive, person-centred culture and effective quality checks. Staff, relatives and professionals spoke positively about the management and the home.
What inspectors found, August 2019
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with no breaches reported.
This was an unannounced inspection on 24 July 2019. One inspector spoke with people, staff, relatives and health and social care professionals. Records, medicines, training and management systems were also checked.
The inspectors found a homely service where people had caring relationships with staff. People were supported to make choices, stay independent, enjoy activities and access the community. Care plans were detailed and regularly reviewed.
All five areas were rated Good: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. This means the inspectors found consistently good care and management at the time of the visit. The previous inspection was also rated Good.
Personalised care
Care plans focused on people's strengths, choices and communication needs. Staff used this information to support people in an individual way.
“People's care plans were highly personalised. They were written with people's input as much as possible and documented their choices, needs and preferences.” from the report
Caring relationships
Inspectors saw a friendly, homely atmosphere and respectful relationships between people and staff.
“We observed that there was a very homely atmosphere and that people and staff had good, caring relationships.” from the report
Community life
People were supported to enjoy hobbies, attend activities and maintain relationships with friends and family.
“People were supported to follow their interests and take part in activities both inside and outside the home.” from the report
Healthcare support
The home arranged regular GP and dentist visits and worked well with other professionals. Hospital passports were kept up to date.
“There was good support to people to meet their healthcare needs.” from the report
Skilled and supported staff
Staff had regular training and supervision and were described as knowledgeable and confident in their roles.
“People were supported by staff who had completed an induction programme and further training which was refreshed regularly.” from the report
Home size
minorThe home supports up to 10 people and is larger than current best practice guidance for this type of setting. Inspectors said the building and its surroundings reduced the negative impact.
“The service was a large home, bigger than most domestic style properties.” from the report
End-of-life preferences
minorThe service was not supporting anyone at the end of life during the inspection. The report says not everyone's preferences had yet been recorded.
“The registered manager told us that although not everyone had their preferences recorded, this would be continually reviewed in a sensitive manner with families and people.” from the report
- 01How would you support my relative's specific communication needs, including any non-verbal signs of pain or distress?
- 02How are medicines reviewed, particularly medicines taken to manage behaviour or mental health?
- 03How would you involve my relative and our family in creating and reviewing the care plan?
- 04What activities and community visits could you offer based on my relative's interests?
- 05How would you record and respect my relative's wishes about end-of-life care?
This was an unannounced inspection covering all five CQC questions, including care, safety, staffing, records and management systems. This explanation was written from the published report of 21 August 2019 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.
What inspectors found, November 2016
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, caring and personalised support, with families helping where people could not fully express their views.
This was an announced inspection on 8 September 2016. The home supported up to 10 gentlemen with learning disabilities and complex additional needs. All 10 people were living there when inspectors visited.
Inspectors met everyone living in the home, spoke with two people, the registered manager and five staff, and observed how staff supported people. They also reviewed care records, medicines records, recruitment checks, quality audits and family feedback. Most people could not communicate their views fully in words, so inspectors also used observation and information from staff and families.
The home was rated Good in all five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Inspectors found that medicines, risks and staffing were managed safely. They also found kind relationships, personalised care, suitable activities, good access to health services and systems for checking quality.
Kind, respectful care
Staff were patient and compassionate. They understood people’s individual ways of communicating and supported privacy, dignity and choice.
“People were treated with dignity and respect. Staff were caring, kind and we observed good relationships between staff and people.” from the report
Personalised activities
People were supported to take part in activities suited to their interests and abilities, including holidays, music, sport and local outings.
“People were supported to undertake activities and interests that were important to them.” from the report
Supportive management
Staff said the registered manager was approachable and that they could raise concerns. The home used audits, meetings and feedback to monitor its work.
“There was an experienced registered manager in post who was approachable.” from the report
Involvement in care planning
minorNot everyone could take part fully in planning and reviewing their care. Families and other important people helped staff develop personalised plans, so ask how the person’s own wishes are captured.
“People were not all fully able to be involved with planning and reviewing their own care and making decisions about how they liked their needs met.” from the report
End of life planning
minorThe manager said this was an area the home hoped to develop further. Ask what plans are now in place and how people’s wishes are recorded.
“The registered manager told us this was an area they hoped to develop further.” from the report
- 01How do you find out and record a person’s wishes when they cannot communicate them verbally?
- 02How are families involved in reviewing care plans, and how do you make sure the person’s own views remain central?
- 03What support and staffing would be provided for my relative’s specific complex needs or behaviour?
- 04What activities and community opportunities would be available for my relative’s interests and abilities?
- 05How would you discuss and record my relative’s end of life wishes?
This was an announced inspection of all five CQC questions, using discussions, observations, records, family feedback and checks of medicines, recruitment and quality systems. This explanation was written from the published report of 11 November 2016 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
2 rated inspections over 3 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- August 2019Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- November 2016GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- June 2014
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 18 June 2014.
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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77 live-in carers within about an hour of Surrey
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. 66 can care for a couple. 11 years' experience on average.
“Without his support we wouldn't have been able to navigate bringing and keeping Dad at home.”
“Not only has she looked after him beautifully, she has also been great company for him with lively conversation, kindness and humour.”
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.