CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at West Hill Place
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors were assured that infection prevention and control procedures were being followed. They found arrangements for screening visitors, using PPE, testing, cleaning, social distancing and managing outbreaks.
- Effective?
- Good
- This area was not assessed in this inspection.
- Caring?
- Good
- This area was not assessed in this inspection.
- Responsive?
- Outstanding
- This area was not assessed in this inspection.
- Well-led?
- Good
- This area was not assessed in this inspection.
What inspectors found, December 2020
West Hill Place was inspected but not rated; inspectors found strong infection-control arrangements during a coronavirus thematic review.
The inspection took place on 20 November 2020 and was announced. It was part of a CQC thematic review of infection prevention and control in care homes.
Inspectors found that visitors were screened, temperatures were checked, and personal protective equipment was required. The home also had social distancing, testing, cleaning and outbreak procedures in place.
The home supported people through outdoor family visits, activities, celebrations and a monthly newsletter during the pandemic. Inspectors were assured that infection prevention and control measures were being followed.
The home was inspected but not rated. This was not a full inspection of all five areas of care, so the report does not give an overall quality rating.
Visitor infection controls
Visitors were screened and given infection-control equipment before entering.
“Visitors were health screened and had their temperatures checked on arrival.” from the report
Family contact
The home arranged outdoor visits and socially distanced meetings so people could stay in touch with family and friends.
“The service had been providing 'garden visits' and socially distanced 'get-togethers' at local parks and leisure amenities for family and friends during the summer months.” from the report
Support during the pandemic
Staff provided activities and celebrations to support people's wellbeing, with information shared with families and friends.
“Staff had provided a wide variety of in-house activities to support wellbeing including celebrations of birthdays, festivals, events and games.” from the report
Cleaning and hygiene
The home had introduced extra cleaning tasks and schedules, completed three times each day.
“Additional cleaning tasks and schedules had been implemented by the registered manager, which were methodically completed throughout the service three times a day.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01What infection-control arrangements are in place now, and how are visitors screened and supported to use PPE?
- 02How are family visits arranged now, and can visits take place indoors as well as outdoors?
- 03How often are extra cleaning tasks completed, and how are they checked?
- 04How are people and staff tested for infections, and what happens if someone becomes unwell?
- 05What contingency plans are in place if there is an infection outbreak or staff shortages?
This was an announced thematic review of infection prevention and control during the coronavirus pandemic; it did not rate the other four questions or give an overall quality rating. This explanation was written from the published report of 2 December 2020 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, April 2019
West Hill Place is Rated Good overall; inspectors found highly personalised care and Outstanding responsiveness.
This was an unannounced inspection on 26 February 2019. One inspector spoke with three people, two staff members and the registered manager. They observed care and checked two people's records, medicines, complaints, incidents, training and quality checks.
The home supported five people with autism and learning disabilities. Inspectors found people were safe, treated with kindness and supported by trained staff. Medicines were stored and given safely, risks were assessed, healthcare needs were met and people were involved in decisions about their care.
The home was rated Good overall. Safe, Effective, Caring and Well-led were all rated Good. Responsive was rated Outstanding because support was strongly tailored to individual needs, choices, independence and changing circumstances. The home was still rated Good overall, the same as at the previous inspection in May 2016.
Highly personalised support
Care was adapted to each person's needs, interests, preferences and personality. Staff understood people well and changed support when circumstances changed.
“Care was bespoke and tailored to meet their exact needs.” from the report
Promoting independence
People were supported to develop skills, use public transport, seek employment and work towards having their own home.
“Risks were assessed in a way which understood and promoted independence.” from the report
Strong healthcare advocacy
Staff challenged healthcare professionals when they believed a person needed more investigation or treatment. This helped the person receive a diagnosis and suitable treatment while remaining at the home.
“The registered manager and staff were persistent with healthcare professionals that more should be done for the person, which over time, resulted in further tests, an accurate diagnosis being discovered, and the suitable treatment then being given.” from the report
Kind and respectful staff
People said staff were kind and respectful. Inspectors saw staff communicate openly and show a strong understanding of each person.
“People were supported and treated with dignity and respect; and involved as partners in their care.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How would you adapt support to my relative's exact needs, preferences, communication style and goals?
- 02How do you help people build independence, including using the community, developing skills or working towards a home of their own?
- 03How do you monitor changing health needs and make sure concerns are followed up with healthcare professionals?
- 04What staffing levels would support my relative, and how do you keep staff familiar and consistent?
- 05How are people and families involved in reviewing care plans and raising complaints or concerns?
This was an unannounced planned inspection covering all five CQC questions and the overall quality and safety of the care home. This explanation was written from the published report of 17 April 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.
Every inspection of West Hill Place
3 rated inspections over 4 years: the service has improved, from Requires improvement to Good.
- December 2020Inspected but not ratedcurrent ratingSafe: Inspected but not rated
- April 2019Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: OutstandingWell-led: Good
- May 2016Goodup from Requires improvementSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- June 2015Requires improvementSafe: Requires improvementEffective: Requires improvementCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Requires improvement
- April 2014
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 24 April 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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Most charge £980 to £1,260 a week. 83 can care for a couple. 12 years' experience on average.
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