Westerham Place Residential Care Home

Updated 13 February 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. This was a comprehensive inspection.

The inspection took place on 13 and 14 December 2017 and was unannounced. The inspection consisted on two inspectors and an Expert by Experience. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service. The Expert by Experience who took part in the inspection had specific experience of caring for people with dementia.

Before the inspection we looked at records that were sent to us by the registered manager and the local authority informing us of significant events. We reviewed the previous inspection report. The inspection was also informed by feedback from questionnaires completed by a number of people using the service, staff who worked at the service and other professionals who came into contact with the service. We used information the provider sent us in the Provider Information Return. This is information we require providers to send us at least once annually to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.

We spoke to five people who received a service to gather feedback. We also spoke to six relatives of those receiving a service, the registered manager, five care staff and one kitchen staff member. We also used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI). SOFI is a way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us. We looked at five people’s care plans and records. We looked at documentation that related to staff management and staff recruitment of three members of staff. We also looked at records concerning the monitoring, safety and quality of the service

Updated 13 February 2018

Westerham Place is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection. Westerham Place provides care and accommodation to a maximum of 33 older people with varying levels of need, including those living with dementia, mobility issues, frailty and diabetes. There were 24 people living there at the time of our inspection.

At the last inspection in November 2015 the service was rated Good. At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

Why the service is rated Good.

People were protected from abuse. Risks to people were assessed and minimised. There were sufficient numbers of staff in place to keep people safe and meet their needs. People received their medicines safely. People were protected by the prevention and control of infection where possible. Accidents and incidents were managed effectively.

People’s needs and choices had been assessed when they started using the service. Staff were trained and their skills and competencies checked by the registered manager. People were supported to maintain a balanced diet. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

Staff were seen to be kind and compassionate towards people. People and their relatives were involved with making decisions about care and support. People were treated with privacy and dignity.

People received care that was personalised to their needs. People were supported to take part in meaningful activities and to engage with the local community. People were encouraged to raise concerns or complaints.

There was an inclusive, open and transparent nature to the service. The registered manager understood the legal requirements of their role. The service had an effective system of checks in place which were used to assess the quality of care provided by staff. The service worked in partnership with other agencies to ensure care was provided in a joined up way.

Further information is in the detailed findings below