• Care Home
  • Care home

The Willows Care Home

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

Heathercroft, Great Linford, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK14 5EG (01908) 679505

Provided and run by:
Willows Care Centre Limited

Report from 30 December 2024 assessment

Ratings

  • Overall

    Good

  • Safe

    Good

  • Effective

    Good

  • Caring

    Requires improvement

  • Responsive

    Good

  • Well-led

    Good

Our view of the service

Date of assessment 04 February 2025 to 11 February 2025. The Willows is a residential care

home with nursing provision. The service supports older people, those living with dementia,

physical disabilities and nursing needs.

This inspection was prompted following us receiving information of concern. We carried out this

inspection to follow up on these concerns.

Staff provided care that was safe, and people’s needs were assessed appropriately. However,

we found care plans were not always person centred. There were several planned activities in

communal spaces which people told us they enjoyed, however where people were in bed for

significant periods of time due to their needs, there were limited opportunities for engagement.

Medicines were managed safely. The provider had a positive and proactive culture of safety.

Staff were aware of how to keep people safe from the risk of harm and abuse.

People were supported to maintain good physical health and staff worked with people to live

healthier lives. Staff treated people with kindness and compassion. The provider had systems in

place to gather and act upon feedback. Leaders were visible and understood their

responsibilities. Staff told us they felt valued and supported.

People's experience of this service

People told us staff were friendly and very caring. People felt safe, one person said, “This is very

nice and safe place-alarm bell makes me feel safe-I have it always withing my reach.” A relative

told us, “[Staff] are good people and I know [Person] is safe in their hands.”

We received mixed feedback about staffing in the service, some people told us there were

enough staff and their call bells were responded to promptly, however others said there were not

always enough staff to enable them to do the things that mattered to them. People were complimentary about the food overall, one person said, “I have 3 well cooked meals a day, they do give us a choice, veg meals or alternatives, it’s all ok no issues at all”, however others told us the food was not to their liking; the provider had a system in place to gather feedback and said they would review the menu options.