Whiston Hall

Ratings

• Overall

  Good

• Safe

  Good

• Effective

  Good

• Caring

  Good

• Responsive

  Good

• Well-led

  Requires improvement

Our view of the service

Whiston Hall is a care home providing accommodation for people who require personal care. Some people were living with dementia. The service can support up to 48 people. At the time of our assessment there were 30 people living at Whiston Hall. This assessment was triggered by concerns we received about the service and commenced with a site visit on 28 May 2024 and ended on 17 June 2024. During this time, we reviewed documents on and off site and communicated with staff, leaders, and visiting professionals. We assessed a total of 24 quality statements from the safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led key questions. The scores for these areas have been combined with scores based on the key question ratings from the last inspection. The last rated inspection under our previous methodology was published on 27 May 2022 and was rated good overall. At the time of our inspection there was no registered manager. However, there was a manager who had joined the service 8 weeks prior to our inspection and was in the process of registering with the Care Quality Commission. Management systems had not always been effective in identifying areas for improvement. We identified 1 breach of regulation and have asked the provider for an action plan in response to the concerns found at this assessment.

People's experience of this service

We spoke with 7 people who used the service and 3 relatives. People told us they felt safe living at the home. One person said, “I’ve been here 8 months. I had falls previously, pressure ulcer on hip, which is improving now. I feel safe, you’re looked after, and they feed you. They are very good to you here." People told us that the home required some investment as the furnishings were old and worn. One relative said, “[Relative] has been here 2 months. Generally, it’s a bit mixed, the building is not conducive to a sense of community with just small rooms, and it needs some investment." A relative said, "The floors are uneven. The dining room is not big enough for everybody." People told us the provider responded when they required something. One person said, "I asked for a new bed, and they got one." However, a relative said, “The tired furniture needs replacing. There’s a good outdoor space but the outdoor furniture needs replacing. There’s a lack of investment from [the provider]. The manager and staff are doing well.” We received mixed views regarding staffing. One person said, "I think there’s enough staff and nothing is too much trouble for them [staff]." One relative said, "Staff are very good sometimes there’s not enough. People have to wait; [relative] says she can be waiting ages, so [relative] takes herself to the toilet." Another person said, "Staff numbers go up and down and some days they seem short. They are short of night staff but seem to get the job done." We received mixed views regarding meals provided at the home. One person said, "The food is fantastic; it’s varied with lovely dinners and sometimes I have 3 helpings of pudding." Another person said, "The meals are not fresh, and the vegetables are over cooked. The menu has a lot of pasta and sausage. If you want a drink staff tell you to wait until the trolley comes round."