Woodland Grove

We assessed the service against ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ guidance to make judgements about whether the provider guaranteed people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. While we found the provider was generally meeting the principles of this guidance, we found improvements were needed to the safety and cleanliness of the service.

We found no evidence people had been harmed, however, theproviderwas in breach of the legal regulation relating to good governance at this assessment.

The provider did not implement effective governance systems. Audits and checks were completed; however, they were not effective at improving the quality and safety of the service as they failed to identify concerns. For example, checks undertaken on the cleanliness and safety of the environment and medication management did not identify the shortfalls we found during this assessment. Further improvement was required to ensure a more effective monitoring system was put in place that was proactive in identifying and reducing risk.

The provider made sure people were at the centre of their care. People received care and support from a consistent staff team who knew them well and understood their needs. Our observations found staff, including the registered manager, interacted with people in a kind and compassionate way and it was clear close bonds had been formed.

Staff received training which equipped them to carry out their roles effectively. They understood people’s individual communication needs, and we saw how information was made accessible. Annual reviews took place with people and their relatives which focussed on what goals people had achieved and what they wanted to achieve in the future.

The culture of the service was warm, open and transparent. The provider cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff. Staff felt supported by leaders.

The provider and registered manager was responsive to our findings and worked hard to address the shortfalls found. Following the conclusion of the assessment, we were assured action had been taken to reduce risk in areas such as the cleanliness and maintenance of the environment.

We have asked the provider for an action plan in response to the concerns found at this assessment in relation to good governance.