CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Willows Court
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
What inspectors found, March 2022
Inspected but not rated; inspectors found good infection control, safe PPE use and clear visiting arrangements.
This was an unannounced, targeted inspection on 18 February 2022. It checked infection prevention and control because the home had experienced COVID-19 outbreaks. Inspectors also asked about staffing pressures linked to COVID-19.
Inspectors found clear visiting arrangements, safe use of protective equipment, regular cleaning and systems for managing infection outbreaks. They were assured that the home was following the infection control measures covered by this visit.
The home was inspected but not rated overall. The Safe question was also inspected but not rated. This report does not provide ratings for the other four questions.
Visiting arrangements
The home had clear visiting protocols. These followed the government guidance in place at the time of the inspection.
“The service had clear visiting protocols in place for visitors to the service.” from the report
Safe use of PPE
Staff used protective equipment safely and in line with the guidance and good practice that applied at the time.
“Staff practiced safe use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).” from the report
Managing outbreaks
The home had systems for reducing and managing infection outbreaks. These included zoning, staff grouping and regular cleaning.
“The service had effective systems in place for managing outbreak of infections.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01Have your visiting protocols changed since the inspection on 18 February 2022?
- 02How do you now manage COVID-19 or other infection outbreaks, including zoning, staff grouping and cleaning?
- 03What staffing pressures were present during the outbreak, and how did you make sure they did not affect people's care?
- 04How do you check that staff and visiting professionals follow PPE and vaccination requirements?
- 05When was the infection prevention and control policy last reviewed?
This was a targeted inspection of infection prevention and control, with questions about COVID-19-related staffing pressures; it did not rate the service overall or assess the other four questions. This explanation was written from the published report of 1 March 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.
What inspectors found, May 2019
Rated Requires Improvement; inspectors found kind care, but risks in the building, cleanliness and activities needed attention.
This was an unannounced inspection on 13 March 2019. Inspectors spoke with people, relatives and staff, observed care, and checked care records, medicines, training, recruitment and management records.
People generally felt safe and said staff were kind, respectful and skilled. People received help with medicines, food and health care, and were involved in decisions about their care.
However, the building had significant safety risks. Inspectors also found poor cleanliness, inconsistent use of protective equipment, missing call bells and too few activities. The home was still rated Requires Improvement overall, as it had been at the previous inspection.
Kind and respectful care
Inspectors saw caring and compassionate interactions. People were treated with dignity and supported to remain as independent as possible.
“We observed caring and compassionate interactions which reflected that staff provided the care as stated in people's records.” from the report
People felt safe
People and relatives told inspectors they felt safe, and staff knew how to report safeguarding concerns.
“People we spoke with told us that they felt safe living at Willows Court.” from the report
Skilled staff
People and relatives were confident in staff's skills and experience. Training records showed staff had accessed relevant training.
“We reviewed the provider's training records which showed that staff had accessed relevant training that they required to carry out their roles and responsibilities.” from the report
Access to health care
The manager and care team worked with health professionals so people could receive timely support.
“The registered manager and the care team supported staff to have timely access to health care professionals and services.” from the report
Building safety risks
seriousInspectors found exposed wires, an unsecured toilet, wardrobes that were not secured, and taps giving access to very hot water. Some bedrooms also lacked call bells or alternative ways to summon help.
“We also found several issues that posed a significant risk of accidents and harm to people.” from the report
Infection control
needs fixingStaff did not always have or use gloves and aprons when providing support. Inspectors also found strong urine smells and visible dirt in parts of the home.
“This meant that their infection control practices were not applied consistently.” from the report
Limited activities
needs fixingSome people said they mainly watched television and wanted more activities or social stimulation. A relative said the person became bored.
“People were not always supported to pursue their interest.” from the report
Weak follow-through on improvements
needs fixingThe manager's audits identified areas needing improvement, but inspectors found no evidence that the required actions had been taken. Care plans were also kept in an unlocked cabinet during redecoration.
“However, we did not see evidence of any actions that may have been taken to make the required improvements.” from the report
- 01Have all the exposed wires, unsecured wardrobes, unsecured toilet and very hot water taps now been made safe?
- 02Does every bedroom now have a working call bell or another reliable way for a resident to call for help?
- 03How are gloves and aprons kept available in bathrooms, and how do you check that staff use them consistently?
- 04What regular activities and social opportunities are now available for residents who previously said they were bored?
- 05How do you check that problems found in audits are corrected and recorded as completed?
This was an unannounced planned inspection covering all five CQC questions, including both the care provided and the home's premises. This explanation was written from the published report of 2 May 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.
Every inspection of Willows Court
3 rated inspections over 3 years: the service has slipped, from Good to Requires improvement.
- March 2022Inspected but not ratedcurrent ratingSafe: Inspected but not rated
- May 2019Requires improvementstayed Requires improvementSafe: Requires improvementEffective: Requires improvementCaring: GoodResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Requires improvement
- March 2018Requires improvementdown from GoodSafe: Requires improvementEffective: Requires improvementCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Requires improvement
- January 2016GoodSafe: Requires improvementEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- June 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- December 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- August 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- December 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- December 2011
Report published without a new overall rating.
- December 2010
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 14 December 2010.
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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