What life is like for people using this service:

• The provider did not consistently ensure that all confidential staff records were appropriately stored and secured.

• We could not be assured people were assisted to eat and drink sufficient amounts.

• We could not be assured the provider had assessed and implemented sufficient numbers of staff at night.

• Quality assurance systems were not consistently effective in driving improvement in all aspects of care delivery.

• Arrangements and the administration and management of medicines had improved since our last inspection.

• Staff provided compassionate care and interacted with people in a person centred manner.

• People had access to a number of activities.

• People were supported to access healthcare

• Staff were knowledgeable about the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and had applied their knowledge appropriately.

• There is more information about this in the full report.

Rating at last inspection:

At our last inspection we rated the service as Good, however, we issued a requirement as we found a breach of Regulation 12, safe care and treatment. The report was published on 15 July 2016. Following the inspection, we asked the provider to tell us the actions they would take in response to the one breach of Regulations found during this inspection.

About the service:

Woodlands Care Home is a residential care home providing personal care for up to 31 older people, some of whom were living with dementia. At the time of our inspection 26 people were living in the home.

Why we inspected:

This was a planned inspection based on the rating at the last inspection.

Follow up: We will ask the registered provider for an action plan to address the requirements we found during the inspection. We will continue to monitor all information received about the service to understand any risks that may arise and to ensure the next inspection is scheduled accordingly.

The inspection took place on the 21 and 22 June 2016 and was unannounced.

Woodlands Care Home is registered to provide accommodation and personal care for up to 31 people. The service does not provide nursing care. At the time of our inspection 30 people were living at the home. The home provides a service for older people and people living with dementia. Accommodation at the home is provided over two floors, which can be accessed using stairs or passenger lift. There are large garden and patio area’s which provide a safe and secure private leisure area for people living at the home.

The service did not have a registered manager. 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 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

Medicines were not always administered, stored or disposed of safely.

People told us they were safe and well cared for at the home. People knew how they could raise a concern about their safety or the quality of the service they received.

The service had carried out risk assessments to ensure that they protected people from harm.

The provider had robust recruitment systems in place.

There were enough staff deployed to provide the support people needed. People received care from staff that they knew and who knew how they wanted to be supported.

Staff had developed caring relationships with people who used the service. People were included in decisions about their care.

Staff knew how to identify abuse and protect people from it.

People were provided with meals and drinks that they enjoyed. People who required support to eat or drink received this in a patient and kind way.

The manager was knowledgeable about The Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards. The Mental Capacity Act Code of Practice was followed when people were not able to make important decisions themselves. The manager understood their responsibility to ensure people’s rights were protected.

People and relatives were asked for their views on the service and their comments were acted on. There was no restriction on when people could visit the home. People were able to see their friends and families when they wanted.

We found one breach of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. You can see what action we told the provider to take at the back of the full version of this report.

There were 28 people living at the home on the day of our inspection and we spoke with four of them. People told us what it was like to live at Woodlands Care Home they talked about how they were treated by members of staff and their involvement in making choices about their care. They told us members of staff were kind and helpful. People we spoke with felt that their personal care was carried out in a manner that promoted choice and their privacy and dignity. They told us that the staff always asked how they were and told them what they were going to do to assist them. One person told us “they could not wish to be anywhere else, the staff are pleasant and can’t do enough for you”. Another person explained how the staff help them to do as much as they could for themselves, keeping their independence.

A relative visiting whilst we were there told us: “I am very pleased with the quality of care, staff are always respectful and helpful of everyone’s needs. The communication with the family is very good”. Members of staff working at woodlands told us they were well supported and trained to meet the needs of people.

The home is registered for 31 people. There were 24 people living there on the day of our inspection and we spoke with eight of them. People told us what it was like to live at Woodlands Care Home and described how they were treated by members of staff and their involvement in making choices about their care. They told us members of staff were kind and helpful. People we spoke with felt that their personal care was carried out in a manner that promoted their privacy and dignity. They told us that the staff always asked how they were and told them what they were going to do to assist them. Relatives told us the care was good and spoke highly about the care provided by members of staff. A relative visiting whilst we were there told us: “I would be horrified if my mother had to leave. I hunted high and low to find this home……… ” Members of staff working at the home told us they were well supported and trained to meet the needs of people.