The Willows Nursing Home

On this page

• Overview
• Learning culture
• Safe systems, pathways and transitions
• Safeguarding
• Involving people to manage risks
• Safe environments
• Safe and effective staffing
• Infection prevention and control
• Medicines optimisation

The provider had been undertaking building works at the service for several months. There had been times when this was disruptive and external professionals had raised concerns about safety and the negative impact on people who lived at the service. The provider had worked with other professionals to try to minimise this impact. The service needed to be decorated and needed new flooring in areas following completion of the building works. The provider had plans for this. The service was clean and there were checks on cleanliness. However, we found some of the practices needed improving to help ensure the spread of infection was being appropriately managed. We discussed this with the registered manager who agreed to review this and improve practice. Accidents, incidents and adverse events were investigated and learnt from. Staff had a good understanding about risks and how to keep people safe. There were enough suitable staff to care for people and they had the training and support they needed to provide good quality care. People received their medicines in a safe way and as prescribed. We did not assess all the quality statements within this key question. We did not identify concerns relating to these areas which we judged as being met at our last inspection.

This service scored 75 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

People and their relatives told us they felt improvements had been made when things went wrong.

Staff said that they had opportunities to discuss incidents, accidents and concerns so they all learnt from these.

There were systems to investigate and respond to adverse events. These were followed. We saw accidents, incidents and concerns had been investigated and the registered manager had worked with staff to help protect people from further harm.

We did not look at Safe systems, pathways and transitions during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Safe.

People using the service and their relatives told us they were safe. Their comments included, “It is a safe place”, “There have not been any issues” and “I am happy and comfortable. I feel safe here because there are no secrets.”

People were cared for in a safe way. Staff were kind, attentive and respectful.

Staff undertook training about safeguarding adults. They were able to describe how they recognised and reported abuse.

The provider had worked with the local authority and other external organisations to investigate allegations of abuse and to help protect people.

People told us staff were careful when supporting them to move, eat and drink.

Staff explained they had training about how to manage risks including falling. They discussed risks with each other. Staff understood about the risks of choking and knew about people’s special diets and any texture modified food.

Staff cared for people in a safe way.

The provider had assessed risks to people's safety and wellbeing. The majority of these were well competed and clear. We found improvements were needed for some assessments, particularly where people's needs had changed. We discussed this with the registered manager who agreed to review and update these.

People told us they were happy with the environment.

The management team discussed how the building works had been managed and how they planned to decorate and enhance the environment.

We identified some risks within the environment. These included a potentially hazardous flooring, and unsecured cupboards. We discussed these with the registered manager who agreed to take immediate action to make these safe.

The provider had worked closely with external professionals whilst alterations were made to the building. There had been times when these had not been well managed, and people were exposed to risks. The provider had implemented action plans to help mitigate some of these risks. Not all equipment had been checked to make sure it was working correctly. We found 2 airflow mattresses were on an incorrect setting and this increased the risk of damage to people's skin. We discussed this with the registered manager who agreed to take immediate action.

People told us there were enough staff and they did not have to wait for care. Their comments included, ''There always seem to be enough staff around'', ''I have no complaints about staffing, and they are all well trained'' and ''I can always find someone to help if needed, weekends and nighttime are no different.''

Staff described how they were supported and trained. They had good knowledge of their roles and responsibilities.

Staff were attentive when people needed them. People did not have to wait for care.

There were suitable systems for recruiting and selecting staff. New staff undertook a comprehensive induction and training. The provider assessed staff skills, knowledge and competencies.

People told us the environment was clean. Their comments included, ''Someone is cleaning every day'', ''It does not smell, and it is clean'' and ''There is always a cleaning lady when I visit – it is like a hotel.''

Staff told us they had training to understand infection prevention and control.

The environment and equipment were clean.

The provider did not always ensure best practice was followed when laundering soiled items. The staff described procedures which were not sufficient to mitigate the risk of the spread of infection. We discussed this with the registered manager who agreed to investigate this and improve practice. There were regular audits of cleanliness and infection prevention and control.

People told us they were happy with the medicines support they received. Their comments included, ''Medication is all done well, if I am not feeling well, I let them know and they look after me'', ''I am always told about any changes with my medicines'' and ''They contact the doctor if I need.''

The staff who were responsible for handling medicines had a good knowledge of these and about safe practice.

Medicines were managed safely. They were stored appropriately. Staff kept clear and accurate records of all medicines and administration. There were regular reviews of people's medicines. There were appropriate procedures in place including handling PRN (as required) medicines, topical medicines and controlled drugs. There were regular audits and checks of medicines management.