What the CQC found at Willow Tree Nursing Home

Safeguarding concerns were reported, investigated and referred to the relevant organisations. Staff understood their responsibilities and felt able to report concerns.

“Safeguarding concerns were reported and referred to the local authority and the CQC. Concerns were investigated and actions taken to minimise future risks to people.” from the report

Inspectors found enough staff to provide safe care during the visit. Relatives also said staff were usually available, although some staff wanted more time with people.

“During the inspection there were enough staff to provide safe care.” from the report

People, relatives and staff described the culture and care positively. Relatives said managers were approachable and kept them informed when problems occurred.

“There was a positive and open culture which helped achieve good outcomes for people.” from the report

Relatives described food and presentation helping some people eat and gain weight.

“Relatives of some people told us how the quality of the food had impacted positively on their loved ones' health.” from the report

Staff did not consistently follow safe infection control practices. Some areas and equipment were not visibly clean, and unpleasant odours raised concerns about cleanliness.

“People were not always protected from the risk of infection as staff were not consistently following safe infection prevention and control practices.” from the report

Some risks had not been assessed and some management plans lacked detail. One person’s catheter had no risk assessment or care plan until this was addressed during the inspection.

“Overall, the provider assessed risks to ensure people were safe and staff took action to mitigate identified risks. However, we identified some areas of risk had not been assessed and some risk management plans required greater detail.” from the report

Some audits were incomplete or scored incorrectly. Problems identified in infection control audits had not been dealt with promptly, including issues that had been seen previously.

“Where audits had identified areas for improvement, actions had not always been taken in a timely way.” from the report

Although inspectors found enough staff for safe care, some staff said they were stretched and had too little time for social support beyond physical care.

“However, some staff told us they were rushed and wanted more time to spend with people beyond providing physical care.” from the report

A mental capacity assessment had not been completed for one decision about restricting a person’s clothing. The provider was asked to review this and follow the Mental Capacity Act principles.

“A mental capacity assessment had not been carried out for one person which related to a decision to restrict the type of clothing they wore.” from the report