The inspection took place on the 19 and 21 June 2018 and was unannounced.

This was the first inspection of Westy Hall Residential Care Home following a change of service provider.

Westy Hall Residential Care Home is a ‘care home’ run by Croftwood Care (Cheshire) Limited. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

The care home is two-storey building that is situated in a housing estate in the village of Latchford in Warrington. It is located close to bus routes, local shops and other public amenities.

The care home accommodates up to 39 older people in one adapted building. Ten of the places provide accommodation and care for people living with dementia within a separate unit. At the time of our inspection, the care home was accommodating 36 people.

The home had a Registered Manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are 'registered persons'. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

During our inspection we found breaches of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 in respect of governance and premises and equipment. The registered provider had not consistently maintained an accurate, complete and contemporaneous record in respect of people using the service and care plans and supporting documentation were therefore in need of review.

Furthermore, the registered provider had not maintained parts of the building to a satisfactory standard. For example, a number of the double glazing windows had failed, which looked unsightly and obscured the vision of people living in the care home. The communal carpets on the ground floor were also stained and in need of replacement. Other parts of the home were also in need of refurbishment or maintenance. You can see what action we told the provider to take at the back of the full version of this report.

We noted that creams were accessible in the bedrooms of people living with dementia and have therefore recommended that this practice be reviewed to include updating care plans and risk assessments to address this matter. This will help to safeguard the wellbeing of people using the service.

People spoken with during the inspection told us that they were cared for appropriately by staff and confirmed they were treated with dignity and respect. We observed positive interactions between staff and people living in the home and noted that staff were attentive to people’s needs.

Systems had been established to ensure that staff working in the care home had been correctly recruited and to safeguard people from abuse or harm. A complaints policy and process was also in place to ensure concerns and complaints were listened to and acted upon.

Staff had access to induction, mandatory and service specific training to help them understand their roles and responsibilities. Progress in completing training was also monitored by the registered manager and the provider.

Staff had an understanding of the systems in place to protect people who could not make decisions and followed the legal requirements outlined in the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS).

People were supported to attend healthcare appointments and staff liaised with their GP and other healthcare professionals as necessary to maintain people’s health or support them at the end of life.

People using the service had access to a choice of menu and received wholesome and nutritious meals that were well presented and took into consideration each person’s dietary needs.

The provider had a quality assurance system in place that included seeking the