Westlake

Westlake is a care home registered to provide nursing and residential care and accommodation for 63 people with various health conditions, including dementia and diabetes. There were 53 people living at the service on the day of our inspection. Westlake is a large purpose built care home located in Horsham, West Sussex.

People's experience of using this service:

People were happy with the care they received, felt relaxed with staff and told us they were treated with kindness. They said they felt safe, were well supported and there were sufficient staff to care for them. Our own observations supported this, and we saw friendly relationships had developed between people and staff. A relative told us, "This is a very happy home; We knew the moment we walked through the door that it would be a safe place and that's why we chose it".

People enjoyed an independent lifestyle and told us their needs were met. They enjoyed the food, drink and activities that took place daily. One person told us, "I have just come back here after being in hospital and I couldn't wait to get back. Everybody was so welcoming. It is good to be home again. The staff are wonderful here". A visitor said, "Mum has put on weight since coming here and enjoys all her food. They have a good choice of food at each meal".

People felt the service was homely and welcoming to them and their visitors. One person told us, "I came for a trial run for a few weeks and chose to stay here. The staff are very kind, and my daughter is made welcome when she comes. The food and care is excellent".

People told us they thought the service was well managed and they enjoyed living there. A visitor told us, "We knew immediately we walked in here that it was the right place for mum, and we didn't look at any more places. We made a good choice as she is very happy here and the staff are excellent".

Staff had received training considered essential by the provider. It was clear from observing the care delivered and the feedback people and staff gave us, that they knew the best way to care for people in line with their needs and preferences. A member of staff told us, "I've had extra training, as I am now a senior".

The provider had systems of quality assurance to measure and monitor the standard of the service and drive improvement. These systems also supported people to stay safe by assessing and mitigating risks, ensuring that people were cared for in a person centred way and that the provider learned from any mistakes. Our own observations and the feedback we received supported this. People received high quality care that met their needs and improved their wellbeing from dedicated and enthusiastic staff. A member of staff told us, "I'm proud to work here. We get to know the residents very well and we are all happy".

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