Willowbrook

Updated 25 March 2022

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

As part of CQC’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic we are looking at how services manage infection control and visiting arrangements. This was a targeted inspection looking at the infection prevention and control measures the provider had in place. We also asked the provider about any staffing pressures the service was experiencing and whether this was having an impact on the service.

This inspection took place on 3 March 2022 and was announced. We gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection.

Updated 25 March 2022

About the service

Willowbrook is a residential care home that can provide personal for up to six people with an acquired brain injury or associated needs and specialises in rehabilitation. At the time of the inspection visit there were five people in residence.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

People continued to receive safe care, and staff we spoke with understood safeguarding procedures and how to raise concerns. Risk assessments were in place to manage risks to people on an ongoing basis. Care plans were comprehensive and provided guidance for staff to follow.

People were supported to maintain good health. People were supported with their medicines. People were involved in meal preparation, encouraged to make healthy food choices and any cultural dietary needs were met.

Promoting rehabilitation and independence was a part of the ethos of the service. People had access to health services as needed. Staff worked with health professionals to support people with their rehabilitation. The registered manager ensured procedures were followed to ensure people had the opportunity to express their wishes in relation to end of life care.

Staff recruitment procedures were followed, and all necessary pre-employment checks were carried out. There were enough staff to support people. Staff worked consistently and flexibly met people’s needs. Staff were trained to support people effectively. Staff were supervised well and felt confident in their roles.

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.

Staff were caring in their approach and had good relationships with people. Staff treated people with respect and their dignity and privacy was respected. People lived in an environment that met the needs of people with an acquired brain injury. Individual rooms with full en-suite facilities, choice of communal rooms and outdoor garden area promoted people’s privacy and independence.

People were at the heart of the service. The registered manager and staff were committed to improving and providing person-centred, high quality care. People were supported to maintain relationships with people important to them. People pursued their interests and accessed the local community facilities to enhance their well-being. Nationally recognised best practice guidance was used effectively by staff to enable people to achieve their rehabilitation goals and improve their quality of life.

The registered manager had systems in place to monitor the quality of the service and were aware of their duties. The provider's complaints policy and procedure was accessible to all. People, their relatives, health professionals and staff felt the registered manager was approachable, acted on concerns and their views were sought to develop the service. Lessons were learnt when things went wrong.

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

Rating at last inspection: Good (published March 2017).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating. The service remained rated Good overall.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Willowbrook on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

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.