Newbury care home receives good Care Quality Commission rating

“I am very proud of the team and their continued hard work and dedication"

A COUNCIL-run care home has been rated good following a Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection.

West Berkshire Council’s Willows Edge Care Home in Newbury was rated good in all inspection categories – safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led.

The home provides personal care to up to 39 residents aged 65 and over.

The CQC report, published on March 24, follows an inspection visit on February 27.

The home was also rated good during its last inspection in 2017.

In the summary report, inspectors said that “People spoke positively of the staff.

“Staff were kind and compassionate and interacted well with people. The atmosphere was relaxed, friendly and welcoming.

“People told us staff respected their privacy and dignity.”

The report added: “People we spoke with and healthcare professionals we spoke with all spoke highly of the service in general and the registered manager and the level of support and leadership they provided.”

Willows Edge Care Home registered manager Pooja Dhoot said: “The team at Willows Edge go above and beyond every day to ensure our residents are safe and happy.

“I am very proud of the team and their continued hard work and dedication.”

The CQC said that there were enough staff on duty to meet people’s needs and that staffing levels were above the recommended level on the day of the inspection.

The report said that processes were in place to control and prevent the spread of infection, with staff understanding their responsibilities.

Work to make the home more dementia-friendly that was flagged up during the home’s last inspection had been carried out.

Inspectors said that significant refurbishment work had been completed.

One health professional told the CQC: “I have a good example of joined-up care here.

“One person came here from hospital with some specialist equipment, but no instructions or training had been provided.

“Staff here went back to the hospital to be trained on how to use it.”

Another said: “It is the considered opinion of all my colleagues that the care received by residents at Willows Edge is amongst the best in our experience.”

Residents at the home said that staff were kind and that they could have a laugh together.

West Berkshire Council executive member for adult social care Graham Bridgman (Con, Burghfield and Mortimer) said: “I want to say thank you to Pooja Dhoot, our registered manager, and to all of her staff for the efforts they put in day to day to make Willows Edge such a great care home, for the benefit of all of the residents.

“Ensuring that our vulnerable children and adults achieve better outcomes is a key element of our council strategy and it is great to see Pooja and her team recognised for their part in achieving this.

“I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the staff in all of the care homes across the district, both those run by the council and those in the private sector, for the efforts they are making on behalf of all of us to deal with the Covid-19 emergency – they are very much in the front line and we all appreciate their efforts.”