Willow House, in Edgbaston, West Midlands, is a residential care home providing personal and nursing care to eight people with a range of needs including learning difficulties and distressed behaviours. Following a focused inspection to review the key questions of whether Willow House was safe and well-led, the CQC maintained the care home’s overall rating of good, including for being safe and well-led.
Jess Jefferies, Home Manager at Willow House, said: “It’s been a tough year for everyone, so I am really pleased to see this recognition for the entire staff team which has worked hard to keep morale high during the pandemic. The residents have all been fantastic throughout, and it’s so good to read such positive feedback from their families in the CQC report.”
Despite the national coronavirus restrictions, staff at Willow House have worked to keep life as normal as possible for residents, including setting up a coffee shop to replace outings the residents would normally take to visit their favourite local coffee house, and have opened a tuck shop to replicate shopping trips. The home has also embraced technology, even organising Zoom music sessions to allow one resident, a keen singer, to stream her musical performances to staff and other residents.
In the latest report on Willow House, the CQC inspectors said: “The service was able to demonstrate how they were meeting some of the underpinning principles of Right support, right care, right culture. People were supported to maintain their independence and their views were respected. Staff knew people well and listened to what they had to say and what they wanted to do.”
It added: “People told us they felt safe at the service. Relatives spoken with were reassured by the care and support their loved ones received and considered them to be safe at Willow House. One relative told us, “They [care staff] have been brilliant. Deal with all problems and keep in touch, [my relative] is a lot happier and I feel they are safe.” Another relative told us why they felt their loved one was safe at the service, they said, “I look into their eyes and see how they are, and they are not stressed and with autism this is important.”
The full report can be found on the CQC website here.