We carried out a review of the data available to us about The Woodlands on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about The Woodlands, you can give feedback on this service.
We found the following examples of good practice.
¿ Staff were supported by the registered manager and provider during periods of anxiety. They had ensured staff had access to a confidential wellbeing support line should this be needed. The provider issued awards to staff and there was a monthly raffle where gifts were given to support staff morale.
¿ The Woodlands had ensured people remained in contact with their relatives in a variety of ways. This included facetime calls when visiting restrictions were in place.
¿ People were supported to remain occupied. They had access to a garden area where they could spend time growing vegetables, they were able to go for daily walks and were supported to access the local community to go shopping should they choose to.
¿ Feedback was gained from people who lived at The Woodlands and their relatives. This supported the home to identify any improvements or changes where required.
¿ Staff had received extra training for the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to keep people safe.
¿ The home was well maintained and clean. Additional cleaning had been implemented to lower the risk of cross transmission of infection.
The Woodlands is a residential care home providing personal care to people with a learning disability and/or autism. The care home accommodates six people in one adapted building. Six people were living at the service at the time of our inspection.
Services for people with learning disabilities and or autism are supported
The service has been developed and designed in line with the principles and values that underpin Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. This ensures that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes. The principles reflect the need for people with learning disabilities and/or autism to live meaningful lives that include control, choice, and independence. People using the service receive planned and co-ordinated person-centred support that is appropriate and inclusive for them.
The service was a small service which was registered for the support of up to six people. Six people were using the service. This is in line with current best practice guidance. There were deliberately no identifying signs, intercom, cameras, industrial bins or anything else outside to indicate it was a care home. Staff were also discouraged from wearing anything that suggested they were care staff when coming and going with people.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
Audit systems were not always effective to check the quality of the service. Appropriate audit documentation was not always available to ensure consistency of audits.
Systems were in place to protect people from abuse and staff understood them. Processes were in place to ensure staff were recruited safely. Risk was managed and reviewed to ensure people were kept safe.
People’s needs and choices were assessed and promoted effectively. Staff were skilled and had the knowledge to deliver effective care. Staff worked well together and with healthcare professionals to effectively meet people’s 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 were supported by kind and caring staff who displayed empathy and compassion. People and their relatives were encouraged to be involved in making decisions about their care. People were supported by staff who respected their privacy and dignity and promoted their independence.
People were supported by staff who understood their preferences and individual communication needs.
The service applied the principles and values of Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These ensure that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes that include control, choice and independence.
The outcomes for people using the service reflected the principles and values of Registering the Right Support by promoting choice and control, independence and inclusion. People's support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible for them to gain new skills and become more independent.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
The last rating for this service was Good (published 14 October 2016). Since this rating was awarded the registered provider of the service has changed. We have used the previous rating to inform our planning and decisions about the rating at this inspection.
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
We have found evidence that the provider needs to make improvement. Please see the Well Led section of this full report.
We found no evidence during this inspection that people were at risk of harm from this concern. Please see the Well Led section of this full report.
You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for The Woodlands 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.
The service is registered to provide accommodation and personal care for up to six people. People who used the service had a learning disability. At the time of our inspection there were six people who used the service.
The service had a registered manager in post. 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.
People were kept safe because staff understood how to recognise possible signs of abuse and the actions they needed to take if people were at risk of harm. People’s risks were assessed in a way that kept them safe whilst promoting their independence.
We found that there were enough suitably trained staff available to meet people’s needs in a timely manner. The provider had safe recruitment procedures in place to keep people safe from harm.
People who used the service received their medicines safely. Systems were in place that ensured people were protected from risks associated with medicines management.
Staff had a good knowledge of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). The MCA and the DoLS set out the requirements that ensure where appropriate decisions are made in people’s best interests where they are unable to do this for themselves. People’s capacity had been assessed and staff knew how to support people in a way that was in their best interests. We found that where people were able they consented to their care.
People were supported to maintain a healthy diet and were able to access sufficient amounts to eat and drink. People were supported to access health services and maintain their health and wellbeing.
People told us and we saw that staff were kind and compassionate. Staff treated people with respect, gave choices and listened to what people wanted. Staff were dedicated to ensuring that people’s dignity was respected both within the service and when people were supported outside of the service.
Staff had an excellent understanding of people’s preferences in care, which were recorded throughout the support plans. People were supported to be as independent as possible and were involved in hobbies and interests that were important to them.
People had been involved in all aspects of the planning and review of their care and set their own goals, which had been completed with support and encouragement from staff.
The provider had a complaints procedure that was available to people in a format that they understood and people knew how to complain if they needed to.
Staff told us that the registered manager was approachable and led the team well. Staff and the registered manager were enthusiastic about their role and what their support meant for people.
People, relatives and staff were encouraged to provide feedback on the service provided. The registered manager had systems in place to assess and monitor the quality of the service provided.
People told us that they were happy with the care they received and that staff were caring and respected their wishes. We observed staff treating people in a caring and compassionate manner and responded to their needs. One person told us, 'I am very happy here and the staff are all very helpful'. Another person told us, 'All the staff listen to what I say and they can't do enough for me'.
The provider had systems in place for the safe management of medicines. Where the provider had identified an area of concern this had been acted upon to ensure improvements were made.
The provider had arrangements in place to support staff to carry out their role. Staff told us that they received formal supervision and felt supported by their manager.
We saw that records were stored safely and securely. Care records we viewed were accurate and contained up to date details of people's support needs.
People living at the home were having their health and personal care needs met. People confirmed that they attended for health care appointments and went to the dentist and to the optician. Staff provided people with support to maintain and develop their independent living skills.
People were being kept safe and the care staff were aware of their responsibilities to act on any issues that affected people's welfare. The manager was aware of how to respond to any safeguarding concerns.
People said they got on well with the staff. A social care professional we spoke with said that staff were very professional and provided people with good support. Care staff had the training and support to provide people with the care they needed in the way they wanted.
The provider had systems in place to monitor and check the quality of the service. People that lived at the home had regular meetings where they could express their views about the service. People knew how to make a complaint and the manager made sure these were acted upon.
We spoke to four of the people living there. People said that they were happy with living at the service. We saw that there was a friendly and relaxed atmosphere. Comments from people living there included, "The staff are OK", "I would recommend it, the staff have helped me to manage my behaviour", and "I choose what I eat".
People were supported to have their health needs met. People said they saw the doctor and had eye and dental checks. Most people could look after their own personal care. People told us that they went to a hairdresser in the nearby high street.
Staff encouraged people to be involved in running the home. Meetings were held to discuss what people wanted to eat and to talk about activities and doing the household tasks. People told us they helped to do the food shopping, did their laundry and helped to keep their bedroom clean.
People chose the activities they wanted to do. Some people went to college and everyone went out to buy personal items. Some people attended a social club. One person told us that they had music lessons and were involved in a drama group.