Archived: Woodlands Atherton, Dementia Care Home and Services

Updated 16 August 2018

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection checked whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

The inspection took place on 18 July 208 and was unannounced. The inspection was undertaken by one adult social care inspector and an inspection manager from the Care Quality Commission (CQC). We also had an expert by experience. An expert by experience is a person who has had experience in working with or caring for people who use this type of care service. The expert by experiences supporting this inspection had experience in caring for an older person living with dementia.

Prior to our inspection we contacted the local authority commissioning team and the safeguarding team. We also contacted the local Healthwatch service. Healthwatch England is the national consumer champion in health and care. This helped us to gain a balanced view of what people experienced accessing the service. We looked at notifications received by CQC. We had received a provider information return form (PIR). This form asks the provider to give us some key information about what the service does well and what improvements they plan to make.

During the inspection we spoke with the registered manager, the deputy manager, the trainer and four care staff. We spoke with seven people who used the service and ten relatives/friends who were visiting. We also spoke with four visiting health professionals to gain their views.

We looked at records including four care plans, seven staff personnel files, training records, health and safety records, audits and meeting minutes. We observed care throughout the day and undertook a Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI), which is a specific way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who cannot not talk with us.

Updated 16 August 2018

The inspection took place on 18 July 2018 and was unannounced. The last inspection took place under the service’s previous registration and the service was rated good in all areas. Since then the service has re-registered under a new name.

Woodlands Atherton Dementia Care Home and Services is registered to provide residential care for up to 38 adults, but usually only accommodates 36 as there are two larger rooms which can be shared. On the day of the inspection there were 34 people residing in the home, one of whom was in hospital. In addition, there was one person undertaking an assessment day and another admission expected the following day. The home specialises in the care of adults with varying levels of dementia and complexity in needs.

The home is situated in a quiet residential area, located off the main Atherton to Bolton road. There is a large garden to the rear and car parking available at the front of the home. It is located close to local amenities.

There was a registered manager in place. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People felt safe living at Woodlands. There was an appropriate safeguarding policy and all concerns were logged and responded to appropriately. Staff had regular safeguarding training and demonstrated a good understanding of safeguarding issues and reporting mechanisms.

The recruitment system was robust and staffing levels were sufficient to meet the needs of the people who used the service.

Individual and general risk assessments were in place and up to date. Health and safety training was undertaken by all staff and there was a monthly maintenance report and a number of monthly audits, for which most documentation was complete and up to date.

Medicines systems were robust. Infection control measures were in place and staff wore appropriate personal protective equipment, such as plastic gloves and aprons, when delivering personal care.

We looked at four care files, which included appropriate health and personal information. Staff had a thorough induction and training was on-going for all staff. Supervisions and appraisals were carried out regularly and there was an electronic system to monitor and alert managers to when supervisions were due.

Information, such as the service user guide and statement of purpose, could be produced in other languages or formats as required. A statement of purpose is a legally required document that includes a standard set of information about a provider’s service. There was a sign on the front door to say that information could be made accessible for everyone.

The environment was dementia friendly with appropriate signage. People said they enjoyed the food and the dining experience was positive, relaxed and enjoyable. The service was working within the legal requirements of the Mental Capacity Act (2005) (MCA) and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS).

People felt their privacy and dignity were respected. We observed care throughout the day and saw consistent, meaningful one to one interactions between staff and people who used the service. Independence was promoted and communication was good between the home staff and other professionals, agencies and families.

The service was committed to ensuring people were treated equally and paid attention to the diversity of the people who used the service. Documentation was securely stored and staff were aware of the confidentiality policy.

The care files included information about people’s choices, preferences and interests. Care plan reviews were completed regularly and people were involved as required.

Throughout the day we saw staff never missed an opportunity to engage in meaningful occupations and interactions with people who used the service. Staff were constantly ensuring people were occupied with games and jigsaws, reading newspapers, playing musical instruments, crafts, hand and nail care, chats and reminiscence. The service had strong links to the local dementia buddy initiative, which provided community environments for people living with dementia.

End of life information was present in people’s care files in the form of advanced care planning. End of life training was in place for staff. There was an appropriate complaints procedure and complaints and concerns were addressed appropriately. The service had received a number of compliments and thank you cards.

The registered manager was visible around the home and the management team were described as very approachable. Feedback was sought via relatives’ meetings, informal chats and questionnaires. Staff had opportunities to voice their opinions and make suggestions via supervisions and appraisals, team meetings, suggestion box and team questionnaires.

Quality and safety audits were undertaken on a monthly basis and actions were put in place to address any issues raised. The registered manager and/or deputy manager attended a number of local meetings where good practice and new innovations were shared and they brought information back to the home to be disseminated to staff.