Archived: Woodgate

Woodgate is a residential care home that accommodates up to six people with a learning disability. People had complex communication needs and used body language, signs and facial expressions to let staff know how they were feeling. At the time of the inspection there were five people living at the service.

The care service has been developed and designed in line with the values that underpin the Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These values include choice, promotion of independence and inclusion. People with learning disabilities and autism using the service can live as ordinary a life as any citizen.

People’s experience of using this service:

The service had improved so people could be assured that they would be treated with dignity, privacy and respect at all times. People benefitted from being supported by staff who knew them well, including their likes, dislikes and preferred routines. Staff knew how to interact with people who had limited verbal communication, so they could understand their needs and respond to them.

The registered manager and staff team had worked in partnership with other professionals to minimise risks to people’s safety. After a challenging period, the environment had returned to one of calm and relatives reported that people were safe. There were arrangements to make sure there were enough staff available to support people when they needed it.

Staff received ongoing training and support to ensure they had the necessary skills and knowledge to meet people’s individual needs. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

People had access to health care services in a timely manner and partnerships had been developed with a range of health care professionals. Mealtimes were social occasions where people sat together, and staff made sure people had enough to eat and drink. People continued to receive their medicines when they were needed.

Guidance was available for staff to follow about how to meet people’s health, social and personal care needs. People were given informed choices about how they would like to spend their time and asked if they had any concerns about their care. Activities took place in people’s home, including sensory sessions and people also had the opportunity to go out.

People benefitted from the open and inclusive culture that was implemented by effective leadership from the management team. There was a culture of learning from best practice and of working collaboratively with other professionals and health providers to ensure partnership working resulted in good outcomes for people. Relatives said the service was well run and they would recommend it to others.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection and update: Requires Improvement (last report published)

The last rating for this service was requires improvement (published 24 20 June 2018) and there was one breach of regulation: People were not consistently treated with dignity and respect. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve. At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulation.

Why we inspected: This was a planned inspection based on the rating at the last inspection.

Follow up: We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.

Woodgate is a care home managed by MCCH Society Ltd. The home offers accommodation and long term care and support to up to six adults with learning disabilities in a purpose built bungalow. There were six people living at the service when we inspected.

Woodgate 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. The care service has been developed and designed in line with the values that underpin the Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These values include choice, promotion of independence and inclusion. People with learning disabilities and autism using the service can live as ordinary a life as any citizen.

Woodgate provides accommodation and personal care. The accommodation is in a bungalow in a quiet residential area, with bedrooms, bathrooms and all facilities on the ground floor to provide fully accessible services to people with physical disabilities. There is a communal lounge, a dining room and a conservatory/activities room and a garden to the rear of the home. Woodgate was previously inspected in November 2015 where they were rated as Good. This is the first time that the service has been rated as Requires Improvement.

There was a registered manager at the service. 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 did not consistently have their dignity upheld. One person was wheeled through the service on a shower chair without being fully covered and the same person was later left on the toilet with the toilet door open. You can see what action we told the provider to take at the back of the full version of the report.

People were kept safe from abuse and harm and staff knew how to report concerns around abuse. There were sufficient numbers of staff deployed to meet people’s needs and ensure they were kept safe. Risks had been managed safely and where potential hazards were identified they had control measures applied to reduce the possibility of harm.

People received their medicines when they needed them from staff who had been trained and competency checked. Staff understood the best practice procedures for reducing the risk of infection; and audits were carried out to ensure the environment was clean and safe. The service used incidents, accidents and near misses to learn from mistakes and drive improvements.

People had effective assessments prior to a service being offered and care outcomes were planned for. Staff understood what support each person required and were trained in key areas to carry out their roles. Staff had been supervised effectively by their manager and their performance had been appraised. People were supported to eat and drink enough to maintain good health and staff used nationally recognised guidance to ensure people had a balanced diet.

The service worked in collaboration with other professionals including local health teams to ensure care was effectively delivered. People maintained good health and had access to health and social care professionals. Environments were risk assessed to ensure people were safe and met people’s individual needs.

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 support this practice. The principles of the Mental Capacity Act were being complied with and any restrictions were assessed to ensure they were lawful and the least restrictive option.

Staff knew people’s needs well and people told us they liked their staff. People and their relatives were consulted around their care and support and their views were acted upon. Staff treated people with kindness and spoke warmly about the people they supported.

Some people were not able to go out as often as they would like. Some people went out more frequently than others. We have made a recommendation about this in our report.

People’s needs were fully assessed and care plans ensured that personal details were carried through to care delivery. There was a complaints policy and form, including an accessible format available to people. Complaints were used to improve the service delivered to people. People at the end of their lives were able to receive a pain free and dignified death.

There was an open and inclusive culture that was implemented by effective leadership from the management team. People and staff spoke of a person centred culture that was empowering. The management team understood their regulatory responsibilities.

People, their families and staff members were involved in the running of the service. There was a culture of learning from best practice and of working collaboratively with other professionals and health providers to ensure partnership working resulted in good outcomes for people.