The Woodlands Care Home

Who the service is for

The service supports older people and people living with dementia. Units on the second floor provided specialist care for people living with dementia and more complex needs.

We carried out this assessment on 29 September 2026. This service was previously rated as good. We carried out this assessment to confirm whether the rating of good remains accurate. This report does not provide detailed information on areas where we found practice continues to meet a good standard. Instead, our findings focus on any areas where the service needs to improve or where we found exceptional practice.

People were supported by staff who knew them well and who had built trusting relationships. Staff were recruited safely and received appropriate training, support and development which enabled them to meet people's needs. There were enough staff available both day and night. There were effective systems in place to safeguard people from abuse.

People can only be deprived of their liberty to receive care and treatment with appropriate legal authority. In care homes, this can be done through a procedure called the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS), which is part of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). We checked whether the service was working within the principles of the MCA and how they managed DoLS within the service. We found that staff and management worked within the MCA. DoLS authorisations were appropriately applied for and overseen. People were not subject to unlawful or excessive restrictions they had choice, control and freedom over their lives.

Medicines were administered safely and there were systems in place to ensure the environment was safe. This included regular audits and manager walkarounds. Equipment was regularly reviewed and service by professionals which ensured it remained safe.

People’s needs were assessed and reviewed on a regular basis. One staff member said, “We are included in these reviews and always asked for our input and ideas.” We observed people’s privacy and dignity being respected by staff and all staff were observed seeking people’s consent prior to support being provided.

Leaders demonstrated a positive and open approach to learning and improvement. Staff told us managers were accessible, open and transparent. One staff member said, “I know I can talk to any member of the management team; everyone has an open-door policy.” Another said, “The manager is very supportive, they listen and really get involved. They care so much.”

The provider was transitioning between paper records to a new electronic care management system. We observed slight discrepancies between these records, however staff knew people well and had access to all information currently, so no one was at risk of harm during this transition. The registered manager responded immediately to update and amend the records we identified which demonstrated a responsive action to improvement and ongoing safely. Going forward people and relatives would be able to freely access their care plan and notes through the new care system.