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What the CQC found at Westcliff Lodge Limited

Goodpublished 13 February 2026, 7 months ago

Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.

The latest report, explained

What inspectors found, February 2022

Westcliff Lodge Limited: inspected but not rated; inspectors found good infection control and visiting arrangements during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This was an unannounced, targeted inspection on 1 February 2022. Inspectors looked mainly at infection prevention and control, visiting arrangements, and whether COVID-19 staffing pressures affected care.

The home had checks for visitors, including questionnaires, temperature checks, protective equipment and rapid testing. People were admitted safely after their COVID-19 status was checked and they self-isolated in line with guidance.

Inspectors found that staff generally used protective equipment and followed good hygiene practices. Cleaning schedules were being followed, and the home was visibly clean and free from odours.

The service was inspected but not rated. This means the report does not provide a new overall rating or a full set of ratings for the five areas of care.

What inspectors praised
  • Safe visiting

    The home used a booking system and followed government guidance for visits. Visitors were screened and required to use protective measures and rapid testing.

    “Suitable measures were in place to screen all visitors and this included completion of a questionnaire, temperature checks, the wearing of Personal Protective Equipment [PPE] and rapid flow testing” from the report
  • Safe admissions

    People's COVID-19 status was checked before they were admitted. New residents self-isolated in line with the guidance in force at the time.

    “People were admitted into the service safely. People's COVID-19 status was sought prior to admittance and people self-isolated in line with current government guidance.” from the report
  • Protective equipment

    Staff were observed using masks, gloves and aprons, alongside good hygiene practices. Most staff had received relevant infection control and COVID-19 training.

    “Appropriate infection prevention control practices were observed for staff, such as the wearing of masks, gloves, aprons and included good hygiene practices.” from the report
  • Clean environment

    Cleaning schedules were in place and being followed. Inspectors found the environment visibly clean and without unpleasant smells.

    “Cleaning schedules were in place and being followed. The environment was visibly clean and odour free.” from the report
What inspectors were concerned about

Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.

Questions to ask them, based on this report
  1. 01What visiting arrangements, screening and testing are in place now?
  2. 02How are new residents' infection risks assessed and managed when they move in?
  3. 03How does the home cover staff shortages now, and could extra shifts affect continuity of care?
  4. 04What training have all staff completed on infection prevention and the correct use of protective equipment?
  5. 05What is the home's latest full inspection rating, given that this inspection was not rated?

This was a targeted inspection of infection prevention and control, visiting arrangements and COVID-19 staffing pressures; it did not provide a full set of care ratings. This explanation was written from the published report of 22 February 2022 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.

An earlier report, explained

What inspectors found, July 2019

Westcliff Lodge Limited was rated Requires Improvement; inspectors found kind care and enough staff, but weaknesses in risk checks, medicines, care records and management oversight.

Inspectors visited without notice on 26 and 29 March 2019. They observed care, spoke with people, relatives, staff and the manager, and checked care files, medicines, recruitment, training, staffing and complaints records.

People generally said they felt safe and received kind, respectful care. There were enough staff, the home was clean, people could access food and healthcare, and staff supported people's choices.

However, some safety risks had not been dealt with quickly enough. Medicines records and administration were not always correct. Two people did not have care plans, social activities were limited, and quality checks had not found these problems.

The overall rating was Requires Improvement. Effective and Caring were rated Good. Safe, Responsive and Well-led were rated Requires Improvement. This was the second consecutive inspection with an overall Requires Improvement rating.

What inspectors praised
  • Kind and respectful care

    People and relatives were positive about the care. Staff knew people well, respected privacy and dignity, and encouraged independence.

    “People were supported and cared for by a consistent team of staff.” from the report
  • Enough staff

    Inspectors found enough staff to meet people's needs promptly. Call alarms were answered in good time.

    “There were enough staff to meet people's care and support needs in a timely manner.” from the report
  • Food and healthcare

    People spoke positively about meals and could choose where to eat. Healthcare support was available when needed, and relatives were kept informed.

    “People had access to food and drink throughout the day and the overall dining experience for people was positive.” from the report
  • Manager's response to feedback

    The new manager was open to the inspection findings and had begun an action plan, including rewriting care plans and risk assessments.

    “The newly appointed manager was passionate and committed to make the required improvements.” from the report
What inspectors were concerned about
  • Risks and fire safety

    serious

    Some fire door improvements were still incomplete, personal emergency evacuation plans were missing, and not all risk assessments had been reviewed. This meant there was limited assurance about people's safety.

    “The registered provider did not ensure all risks for people were mitigated for their safety and wellbeing.” from the report
  • Medicines

    serious

    Three people's medicine records had gaps, two medicines were not given as prescribed, and some as-needed medicine instructions were incomplete.

    “Two people's medicine was not given in line with the prescriber's instructions.” from the report
  • Care plans

    needs fixing

    Care records did not always explain people's needs or preferences accurately. Two people had no care plan describing the care staff should provide.

    “Two people did not have a care plan in place detailing their care and support needs and the delivery of care to be provided by staff.” from the report
  • Provider oversight

    serious

    The provider's checks had not identified several problems with safety, medicines, care planning and social care. Inspectors found that action had not been taken soon enough.

    “This demonstrated a lack of oversight by the registered provider to effectively monitor and improve the quality and safety of the service for people living at Westcliff Lodge.” from the report
Questions to ask them, based on this report
  1. 01Have all personal emergency evacuation plans now been completed for residents who may need them?
  2. 02How are medicines checked now, including missed signatures, medicines given as prescribed and instructions for as-needed medicines?
  3. 03Do all residents now have care plans that accurately describe their needs, preferences and wishes?
  4. 04What regular activities and community opportunities are available for each resident, based on their interests?
  5. 05How does the provider now check that risks, care plans, medicines and complaints are identified and acted on promptly?

This was an unannounced planned inspection of the care home, covering both the premises and the care provided, and assessing all five CQC questions. This explanation was written from the published report of 16 July 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.

The story over the years

Every inspection of Westcliff Lodge Limited

4 rated inspections over 4 years: the service has held its Requires improvement rating throughout.

  1. February 2022Inspected but not ratedcurrent rating
    Safe: Inspected but not rated

    Read what inspectors found at Westcliff Lodge Limited →

  2. July 2019Requires improvementstayed Requires improvement
    Safe: Requires improvementEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Requires improvement

    Read what inspectors found at Westcliff Lodge Limited →

  3. March 2018Requires improvementdown from Good
    Safe: Requires improvementEffective: Requires improvementCaring: GoodResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Requires improvement

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  4. January 2016Goodup from Requires improvement
    Safe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Requires improvement

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  5. January 2015Requires improvement
    Safe: Requires improvementEffective: Requires improvementCaring: Requires improvementResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Requires improvement

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  6. January 2014

    Report published without a new overall rating.

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  7. January 2013

    Report published without a new overall rating.

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  8. October 2011

    Report published without a new overall rating.

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  9. January 2011

    Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 7 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.

Next steps

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