CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Westmead Residential Care Home
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- People told inspectors they felt safe. Staff understood safeguarding, risks were assessed and reviewed, medicines were managed safely, and call bells were answered promptly.
- Effective?
- Good
- People's needs were assessed before they moved in. Staff received training and supervision, people were supported with eating and drinking, and healthcare professionals were contacted when needed. Inspectors found inconsistent meal choices and mixed views about the food.
- Caring?
- Good
- People liked the staff and inspectors saw calm, friendly interactions. Staff supported privacy, dignity, communication, choice and relationships with relatives.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Staff knew people's preferences, interests and life histories. Activities, religious support, accessible information and complaint handling were in place.
- Well-led?
- Good
- People, relatives and staff spoke positively about the management. Audits, meetings and feedback systems were used to monitor quality, although senior staff could not always access all details in the new electronic care records.
What inspectors found, March 2018
Westmead Residential Care Home is rated Good; inspectors found kind, safe and responsive care, with some concerns about meal choices, staffing and electronic records.
Inspectors visited on 5 and 23 January 2018. Both visits were unannounced. They spoke with people living at the home, relatives, staff and a healthcare professional. They also observed care and checked care records, medicines, complaints, accidents and quality checks.
The home was rated Good overall and Good in all five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. People generally felt safe and well cared for. Staff were trained, treated people with dignity, supported their choices and knew their individual preferences.
Inspectors found some areas needing attention. People gave mixed views about the food, and meal choices were not always provided as requested. Senior staff could not always access all information in the new electronic care records for auditing. Some people also felt staffing levels were low at times.
Risk management
Staff understood people's risks and used equipment safely. Risk assessments were regularly reviewed and reflected healthcare guidance.
“Risk assessments were carried out and reviewed on a regular basis.” from the report
Kind and dignified care
People liked the staff. Inspectors saw staff offering choices, protecting privacy and responding calmly when people needed reassurance.
“Throughout the inspection, we saw a relaxed calm atmosphere and friendly discussions taking place.” from the report
Activities and personal interests
People were offered activities and were asked what they wanted to do. Staff knew about people's interests and life histories.
“We saw different activities taking place during the inspection including art and crafts and discussions with people such as what they did in their younger years.” from the report
Listening and improvement
The home used meetings, complaints, surveys and audits to hear people's views and make changes.
“These showed people were listened to and action was taken.” from the report
Meal choices
needs fixingInspectors found that meal choices were not offered consistently. Some people were not always served what they had requested, and views about the food were mixed.
“On the first day of our inspection, a choice of meal was offered to some people but this was not consistently done.” from the report
Electronic care records
needs fixingThe new electronic system did not always allow senior staff to see all details recorded by care staff. This limited their ability to audit some information, including food and fluid intake.
“During our inspection, we found senior staff were not always able to access some details made by care staff in order to fully audit them.” from the report
Staffing at busy times
needs fixingThe registered manager and staff felt staffing was sufficient, but some people thought staffing levels were low at times and affected how care was provided.
“Some people believed staffing levels to be low at times to care for people in their preferred way.” from the report
- 01What has been done to make sure people are consistently offered the meal choices they request?
- 02How do you check that food and fluid records are complete and visible to senior staff?
- 03How many staff are on duty during the day and night, and how do you adjust this when people's needs change?
- 04How are people's individual preferences and routines used when planning daily care?
- 05How can relatives raise a concern, and how will they be told what action has been taken?
This was an unannounced inspection covering all five CQC questions, including the care provided and the home environment. This explanation was written from the published report of 3 March 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 Westmead Residential Care Home
2 rated inspections over 2 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- March 2018Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
Read what inspectors found at Westmead Residential Care Home →
- December 2015GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- November 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- February 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- April 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- January 2011
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 10 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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At least 100 live-in carers within about an hour of Worcestershire
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. 85 can care for a couple. 9 years' experience on average.
“I have never met a person who is so kind and thinks about others before himself to such an extent as Chris Malagala.”
“She was very caring, kind and patient to all his needs, she built up a wondetful rapport with him, she was dedicated and was there for him through good times as well as through the tough times”
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.