CQC report explained · a nursing home
What the CQC found at Westwood Lodge
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Safe was not rated as part of this inspection. The report says infection prevention and control was looked at under Safe during the October 2022 inspection, and that medicines, staffing and risk systems were safe during this visit.
- Effective?
- Good
- People's needs were assessed before they moved in. Staff received induction, training and supervision, and worked with health professionals to support people's health.
- Caring?
- Good
- People and relatives said staff were kind and respectful. Inspectors saw staff protecting privacy and dignity and involving people in decisions about their care.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care plans were person-centred and included people's preferences and communication needs. Complaints were dealt with promptly and lessons were shared with staff.
- Well-led?
- Good
- Managers had systems to monitor safety and quality. Staff understood their roles, received support and could raise concerns or make suggestions.
What inspectors found, February 2023
Westwood Lodge is rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with only a minor concern about some agency staff communication.
This was an unannounced inspection on 24 and 25 January 2023. One inspector and an Expert by Experience spoke with people, relatives and staff. They reviewed care records, medicine records, audits and other management documents.
The inspectors found that people's needs were assessed before they moved in and that care plans covered areas such as nutrition, mobility and personal care. Staff supported people to make choices, respected privacy and dignity, and worked with health and social care professionals when needed.
The home had enough staff to meet people's needs, medicines were managed safely and infection control guidance was followed. Managers dealt with complaints, checked the quality of care and were open during the inspection. The overall rating was Good, and the ratings for Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led were also Good.
Safety systems
The home had systems to protect people from abuse and reduce identified risks. Inspectors also found that staff managed medicines safely.
“Systems in place helped safeguard people from the risk of abuse. Assessments of risk and safety and supporting measures in place minimised risks.” from the report
Thorough assessments
People's needs were assessed before they moved in. Care plans gave staff information about nutrition, mobility, personal care and other support needs.
“People's needs were comprehensively assessed. Care plans had a pre-admission assessment which was carried out before a person moved into the service” from the report
Kind and respectful care
Inspectors saw staff treating people with kindness and courtesy. People were supported to make choices and their privacy and dignity were respected.
“We saw numerous instances of staff interacting with people and their relatives, and at all times staff acted with courtesy and professionalism.” from the report
Personalised support
Support plans included people's likes, dislikes and preferences. Staff used handovers and daily meetings to keep up to date with changes in people's needs.
“Support plans provided staff with clear guidance and were person-centred, containing people's likes, dislikes and preferences.” from the report
Strong management oversight
The management team used audits and governance systems to monitor care and identify improvements. Staff were supported through meetings, handovers and supervision.
“Governance systems, monitoring tools and processes were in place to assess the safety and quality of the service and identify areas for improvement.” from the report
Agency staff communication
minorOne person said some agency staff found communication difficult, although they also said agency staff explained what they were doing and did not rush them. Ask how the home checks communication skills for temporary staff.
“The staff that work in the home chat with me all the time, but some of the agency staff find it hard to communicate.” from the report
- 01How do you make sure agency staff understand each person's communication needs?
- 02How often are care plans reviewed when a person's needs change?
- 03How do you check that medicines are given and recorded safely?
- 04What activities are available, and how do you match them to each person's interests?
- 05How can relatives raise concerns, and how will they be told what action has been taken?
This was a focused inspection of Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led; Safe had been inspected in October 2022 and its rating was not given again here. This explanation was written from the published report of 25 February 2023 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, October 2022
Westwood Lodge rated Good; inspectors found safe care, kind staff and effective management.
The inspection was unannounced and took place on 28 and 30 September 2022. One inspector and two Experts by Experience spoke with people, relatives and staff. They reviewed care records, medicines records, recruitment files and management checks.
The home was rated Good for Safe and Well-led. Inspectors found people were protected from abuse, risks were assessed, medicines were managed safely and there were enough staff. Infection control arrangements were also found to be effective.
Staff were described as kind and respectful. People were involved in decisions about their care, and relatives said communication was good. Managers used audits, meetings and notifications to monitor the service and respond to concerns.
This was not a full inspection of all five key questions. The overall Good rating used the new findings for Safe and Well-led alongside ratings from the previous inspection under the previous provider, published on 22 June 2021.
People felt safe
People and relatives told inspectors they felt safe and could speak to staff when they had concerns.
“People told us they felt safe.” from the report
Enough staff
Inspectors found staffing levels were sufficient for people's assessed needs, and people said staff responded quickly to call bells.
“There were enough staff employed to meet people's assessed needs.” from the report
Safe medicines
Staff had medicines training and competency checks. Care plans clearly recorded people's medicines requirements.
“Staff managed people's medicines safely; an up to date medicines policy and procedure was in place.” from the report
Good infection control
Inspectors were assured that the home used suitable infection control measures, including safe admissions, effective PPE and appropriate cleaning.
“The home had achieved and overall rating of 97% at a public health infection control visit done in August 2022.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
People said staff were kind, patient and respectful. Care plans supported people's choices and independence.
“Staff are lovely, always kind and patient, we also have a good laugh with them.” from the report
Strong management checks
Managers used audits, handovers, meetings and supervision to monitor care and act on issues.
“Robust governance arrangements supported good service delivery and showed the management team were able to question and act on issues raised” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How will you assess and review my relative's individual risks, including mobility, nutrition and personal care?
- 02How many staff are usually available on each shift, and how quickly do they respond when someone uses their call bell?
- 03How do you check that staff remain competent to administer medicines safely?
- 04What infection control arrangements are currently in place for residents and visitors?
- 05How will my family be involved in care planning and told promptly if my relative becomes unwell?
This was a focused, unannounced inspection of Safe and Well-led; the ratings for Effective, Caring and Responsive were not inspected and were carried over from the previous inspection. This explanation was written from the published report of 19 October 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.
Every inspection of Westwood Lodge
9 rated inspections over 8 years: the service has improved, from Requires improvement to Good.
- February 2023Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- October 2022GoodWell-led: Good
- March 2022Inspected but not ratedSafe: Inspected but not rated
- June 2021Goodup from Requires improvementSafe: GoodWell-led: Good
- December 2019Requires improvementstayed Requires improvementSafe: Requires improvementEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Requires improvement
- November 2018Requires improvementdown from GoodSafe: Requires improvementEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Requires improvement
- August 2017Goodup from Requires improvementSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- July 2016Requires improvementup from InadequateSafe: Requires improvementEffective: Requires improvementCaring: GoodResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Requires improvement
- January 2016Inadequatedown from Requires improvementSafe: InadequateEffective: Requires improvementWell-led: Inadequate
- May 2015Requires improvementSafe: InadequateEffective: Requires improvementCaring: Requires improvementResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Requires improvement
- August 2021
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 27 August 2021.
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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