CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Windmill Lodge Ltd
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- People were supported by staff who knew their risks and how to respond when they became distressed. Medicines were generally managed safely, but some medicine storage temperature readings were above the expected range.
- Effective?
- Good
- Staff had relevant training, including positive behaviour support and support for autistic people and people with learning disabilities. People were supported with food, healthcare, communication and lawful decision-making.
- Caring?
- Good
- Staff knew people well and treated them with respect, patience and kindness. People were involved in decisions and supported to maintain their privacy, dignity and independence.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care plans reflected people's needs, abilities, choices and goals. People were supported with activities, family contact and community life, with daily activities based on their own choices.
- Well-led?
- Good
- The service had quality checks, sought feedback and worked with health and social care professionals. The provider and registered manager were also covering the management role while recruiting a permanent manager, and there was no senior management team providing oversight.
What inspectors found, August 2023
Windmill Lodge Ltd is rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with some medicine storage and infection control issues.
Inspectors visited without notice on 27 June 2023 and again on 5 July 2023. They spoke with people, a relative, staff and a health and social care professional. They also checked care records, medicines, training, incidents and quality checks.
The home supported six people with learning disabilities or autism. Inspectors found that people were safe, treated with kindness and supported to make choices. Staff helped people go out, keep in touch with others, follow their interests and work towards personal goals.
All five areas were rated Good: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. This means the inspectors found good standards overall, but it does not mean that every part of the service was without any concerns.
Kind and respectful care
Inspectors saw positive relationships between staff and people. Staff explained choices patiently and respected privacy, dignity and independence.
“People received support and care that was kind, compassionate and reflected people's own culture and preferences.” from the report
Skilled staff
Staff received training suited to their roles and to people's complex needs. Inspectors observed staff using their knowledge and following support plans.
“Staff received the right training for their role, and this included training for specific complex needs people had.” from the report
Personalised care planning
Care plans recorded people's needs, communication methods, abilities, preferences and goals. People and relatives were involved in planning and reviewing care.
“People's care plans were an accurate reflection of the support they needed and what people could do independently.” from the report
Medicine room temperature
needs fixingSome medicine storage temperature records were above the expected range. The registered manager said an air conditioning unit had been purchased after the inspection.
“However, the temperature in the room where medicines were stored was warm and some recordings of the room temperature were above the expected range.” from the report
Infection control practice
needs fixingSome staff were wearing nail polish or nail extensions. Inspectors said this could increase the risk of cross infection because hand hygiene may be less effective.
“However, we did note that some staff had nail polish and or nail extensions on which increases the risk of cross infection due to risk of ineffective hand hygiene.” from the report
Management oversight
minorThere was no senior management team to provide oversight. The provider and registered manager were covering the management role while recruiting a permanent manager.
“There was not a senior management team to provide oversight.” from the report
- 01What changes have been made to keep the medicine storage room within the correct temperature range, and how are readings now checked?
- 02What action was taken about staff wearing nail polish or nail extensions?
- 03Has a permanent manager been appointed, and what management oversight is now in place?
- 04How will my relative's personal goals, community activities and communication preferences be recorded and reviewed?
This was a full inspection covering all five key questions and infection prevention and control; the report says the previous Good rating was under the home's earlier registration in 2017. This explanation was written from the published report of 9 August 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.
Every inspection of Windmill Lodge Ltd
3 rated inspections over 8 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- August 2023Goodcurrent ratingSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- March 2021Inspected but not ratedSafe: Inspected but not rated
- November 2017Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- November 2015GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- February 2022
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 3 February 2022.
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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