Westacre Nursing Home

Westacre Nursing Home in Winchester provides accommodation and nursing care for up to 55 older people across three floors with accessible communal areas and gardens. Based on the recent Care Quality Commission inspection, residents and their families generally experience person-centred care and feel safe and well-supported by a compassionate staff team. However, the report highlights important areas where management and oversight need to be strengthened to ensure consistent standards across the home.

When it comes to safety, while medicines management and infection control measures are handled robustly, there are concerns regarding risk management. Specifically, some care plans lacked proper tracking for residents experiencing weight loss, and staff need additional training and competency checks around dietary requirements and choking risks.

The care provided is effective and based on thorough pre-admission assessments, though monitoring of nutritional and fluid intake needs closer attention for vulnerable individuals. Staff utilize proper tools to monitor health changes and work well to assess mental capacity, though some physical restrictions were put in place without formal capacity assessments.

Residents consistently describe the care as caring and praise the patience, kindness, and approachability of the staff. Families feel confident that their relatives are treated with dignity, and staff demonstrate a clear understanding of how to safeguard individuals and report any concerns.

In terms of being responsive, care is generally tailored to individuals, and staff respond quickly to call bells. However, some feedback from staff and relatives points to a need for better communication, and night shifts have occasionally focused too heavily on routine tasks rather than personalized care.

Leadership and governance arrangements require ongoing development, as previous concerns have not yet been fully resolved. While the new management team is working hard and nursing recruitment has improved, staff morale, teamwork, and the consistency of daytime and night-time staffing deployment remain areas requiring active improvement.