CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Willow Lodge
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- People were protected from abuse and avoidable harm. Staffing, recruitment and medicines systems were generally effective, although relatives had raised concerns about washing-up and kitchen hygiene.
- Effective?
- Good
- Staff had the training and knowledge needed to support people. People were helped with food, healthcare, communication and decisions about their care.
- Caring?
- Good
- Staff treated people with kindness, dignity and respect. They understood people's personal histories, cultural needs and preferred ways of communicating.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care was personalised and regularly reviewed. People had activities, community opportunities and support to maintain relationships, with information provided in formats they could understand.
- Well-led?
- Good
- Managers had oversight of care records, safety and quality. Staff and relatives described managers as approachable, and the home encouraged people to share their views.
What inspectors found, August 2022
Willow Lodge rated Good; inspectors found kind, personalised care, with some concerns about kitchen hygiene, diet and occasional medicine records.
Inspectors visited on 13 and 14 July 2022. One inspector met three people living in the home, spoke with staff, managers and four relatives, and reviewed care, medicine, recruitment, training and quality records.
All five areas were rated Good: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Inspectors found people were supported to make choices, stay independent, join activities and keep in touch with people important to them.
Care records were detailed and personalised. Staff were trained and understood people's communication, health and safety needs. Managers were described as approachable, and the home had systems for investigating incidents and responding to concerns.
This was the first inspection since the service registered in 2020. There were no previous ratings to compare with, and the report does not record any breaches or enforcement action.
Personalised care
Care records included detailed information about people's lives, preferences and cultural needs. Staff used this information to provide individual support.
“Care records included high-quality details which provided useful insight into how each person preferred to live.” from the report
Choice and independence
People were supported to make choices, develop skills and work towards carefully considered goals. Staff helped people take part in activities in the local community.
“People were supported to have meaningful lives because staff ensured people had access to a broad range of activities within their local community.” from the report
Kind and respectful staff
Inspectors found that staff promoted dignity, respect and independence. Relatives also gave positive feedback about how staff took time to understand people.
“People received compassionate and kind care from staff committed to supporting them in ways which promoted their dignity and respect.” from the report
Open management
Staff and relatives said managers were approachable. The home encouraged feedback, investigated incidents and shared lessons with staff.
“Staff were encouraged to share their views and raise any concerns they had.” from the report
Kitchen hygiene
needs fixingSome relatives said washing-up was regularly left piled in sinks and raised concerns about kitchen hygiene. The manager said this had been addressed with staff.
“Cleaning schedules were in place but some feedback we received from relatives indicated washing-up was regularly piled up in sinks and they had concerns about hygiene in the kitchen.” from the report
Individual diet concern
needs fixingOne relative was concerned about the quality of their relative's diet. This had been raised with the manager, who was responding to it.
“One relative felt concerned about the quality of their relations diet and had raised this directly with the registered manager who was responding to the concerns.” from the report
Medicine signatures
minorStaff occasionally missed signing for a medicine. The home identified and addressed this promptly, but families may want to ask how this is now monitored.
“Where staff occasionally missed signing for a medicine this had been identified and addressed in a timely way which helped avoid reoccurrence.” from the report
- 01What checks are now in place to make sure washing-up is not left piled in sinks and kitchen hygiene remains satisfactory?
- 02How would you assess and review my relative's diet if there were concerns about its quality?
- 03How do you check medicine records for missed signatures, and what action would you take if this happened again?
- 04How would you learn my relative's preferred way of communicating and record this in their care plan?
- 05What activities and community opportunities could my relative take part in, based on their interests and support needs?
This was the first comprehensive inspection of the newly registered care home, covering the premises and care across all five CQC questions. This explanation was written from the published report of 6 August 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 Willow Lodge
Each visit the CQC has published, newest first, back to the day the home was registered.
- August 2022Goodcurrent ratingSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- August 2021
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 12 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.
Weigh the report against the rest
Fees, photos and reviews from families
How to read CQC ratings and reports
What to check when you visit
85 live-in carers within about an hour of Lancashire
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. 78 can care for a couple. 11 years' experience on average.
“She understands the needs of an elderly person in the early stages of dementia and has treated my mother with great kindness and skill.”
“Thanks to Tracy, Dad was always immaculately dressed and clean, his meals were all home cooked and nutritionally well balanced and his home was always kept really clean and tidy.”
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.