Westfield Nursing Home

Updated 8 January 2019

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, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

This was a comprehensive inspection. The inspection took place on 12 December 2018 and was unannounced.

The inspection team consisted of an inspector and an expert-by-experience who had experience in the care of older people. An expert-by-experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Prior to this inspection, we reviewed information that we held about the service, such as notifications. These are events that happen in the service that the provider is required to tell us about. We also considered the last inspection report and information that had been sent to us by other agencies. We also contacted commissioners who had a contract with the service.

During the inspection, we spoke with seven people who used the service and seven relatives, to obtain their views about the service they or their relative received. We spoke with the registered manager, the operations manager, a nurse, two care staff, a housekeeper, and the chef.

We observed staff providing support to people in the communal areas of the service. This was so we could understand people's experiences. By observing the care received, we could determine whether or not they were comfortable with the support they were provided with.

We reviewed a range of records about people's care and how the service was managed. This included looking at three people's care records and associated documents. We reviewed records of meetings, staff rotas and staff training records. We also reviewed the quality assurance audits the management team had completed.

Updated 8 January 2019

Westfield Nursing Home is care home providing residential and nursing care for up to 35 people, including those living with dementia or a learning disability. 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.

We inspected this service on 12 December 2018. The inspection was unannounced. On the day of our inspection, 35 people were using the service.

At our last inspection we rated the service good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

People continued to receive a safe service where they were protected from avoidable harm and abuse. People and their relatives felt safe and staff understood their responsibilities in relation to the people they cared for. Risks to people’s health and safety were assessed and interventions were put into place to mitigate those risks.

Staffing levels were planned to ensure there were sufficient staff with the right skills and experience to provide safe care that was responsive to people’s individual needs. Safe recruitment processes were in place to ensure the suitability of staff for their roles. People’s medicines were managed safely and people told us they received their medicines regularly.

The premises and equipment were well maintained and the required safety checks were completed. Processes were in place to maintain the cleanliness of the environment and equipment and to prevent and control infection.

People continued to receive an effective service. Care and support was delivered in line with good practice guidance. Staff were provided with training and development opportunities to ensure they were able to provide care that was effective and met people’s needs. People were provided with a healthy and nutritious diet and were provided with the support they needed to eat and drink sufficiently. People were supported to access health services when required and staff sought specialist advice when necessary. 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 place supported this practice.

Staff treated the people they cared for with kindness and respect. Relatives commented on the positive relationships their family members had built with staff which added to their well-being and overall experience. People were involved in their care and encouraged to maintain their independence.

People continued to receive care that was responsive to their needs. Staff were proud of their personalised approach and their ability to spend time with people to enable them to spend time in the way they chose. People were treated equally, without discrimination. People were encouraged to maintain their relationships and contacts outside the home. A wide range of activities were provided, based on people’s interests and wishes.

The service continued to be well led. The registered manager provided good leadership and was respected by staff. The quality and consistency of care was monitored through the use of audits and the views of staff, people using the service and visitors was sought. Improvements were identified from the results of these activities, to facilitate the continuous improvement of the quality of the service provided.