FAQs

Q. Who will be looking after my relative, friend or representative?
Q. Are all the staff qualified?
Q. Is there always a member of staff on duty?
Q. What are the visiting times?
Q. Will someone make sure that my relative takes their medication?
Q. Are the residents aloud personal possessions?
Q. Is there a complaints procedure?
Q. What is the minimum duration someone can stay?
Q. What is the waiting time for admission?
Q. Can you deal with emergency admissions?
Q. Are there activities organised for the residents?
Q. Can residents practice their religious beliefs?
Q. When are the meal times?
Q. Can residents smoke?
Q. Have the residents access to a telephone?
Q. Is there access for wheelchairs?
Q. Can the residents look after their own money?

Who will be looking after my relative, friend or representative?
Sybil Rose is the Proprietor of the home. Sybil is a District Nurse with 36 years experience in Residential and Domiciliary Care, 30 at the management/proprietor level.

Marcia Patterson is the person responsible for the home on a day-to-day basis with over 20 years experience in residential care home operations, and has been the Manager at Woodlands since 1993.

When you join us, you will be assigned a Key Worker, who is responsible for monitoring all aspects of your care and keeping a record of any decisions made about your care.

Your Key Worker, is your main carer who will always be up to date with your needs and will help the other members of the Woodlands team to be aware of any special needs you may have.

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Are all the staff qualified?
The personal care is delivered by a team of staff who receive training in all aspects of their work from both external and in-house sources. All operational staff are working towards or have exceeded NVQ level II. The staffing levels ensure that residents are cared for safely and have access to care staff 24 hours a day.

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Is there always a member of staff on duty?
Three rota are used to provision staff on a 24 hour basis:

1. The senior rota consists of the following:

• At least one senior staff on duty from 8am to 5pm
• One person in charge assigned on duty from 7:30 am to 8pm
• One person in charge assigned on duty from 8pm to 8am

2. The care assistant rota consists of the following:

• Two day-staff on duty from 7:30am to 8pm
• One senior staff on duty from 7:30am to 8pm
• Night staff on duty from 8pm to 7:30pm
• One night staff on duty from 8pm to 8am to provide continuity

3. The kitchen and domestic rota consists of the following:

• One cook on duty from 7:30am to 3pm
• Domestic 7:30am to 1pm

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What are the visiting times?
If a resident wishes, their friends and relatives are welcome to visit at any time convenient to them and to become involved in daily routines and activities.

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Will someone make sure that my relative takes their medication?
Medication is administered in accordance with the policy and procedure either by specifically trained staff or by the service user themselves following an assessment of their ability to manage the procedure.

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Are the residents allowed personal possessions?
We encourage residents to make their room personal by bringing their favourite small items (chair, pictures, etc.).

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Is there a complaints procedure?
Woodlands believes that if residents wish to make a complaint or register a concern they should find it easy to do so. It is the home’s policy to welcome complaints and look upon them as an opportunity to learn, adapt improve and provide a better service.

Complaints policy and procedure

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What is the minimum duration someone can stay?
We offer – Long Stay Care, Residential Respite Care and Short Stay Care. When you choose Woodlands you will be given a contract with the Terms and conditions of occupancy, including period of notice for the type of placement – residential intermediate or respite care.

There is an option for you to stay with us for up to four weeks before you fully commit to staying long term. At any time during the first four weeks you can let us know whether you are happy to stay or not. We also get a chance to tell you how we feel about how well we are doing in being able to deliver the service to you. At the end of four weeks we both get a chance to decide whether to continue.

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What is the waiting time for admission?
This will be dependant on the space available at the time. Woodlands has 14 bedrooms with space for 20 residents – both sexes.

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Can you deal with emergency admissions?
If a service user needs to be admitted a short time after the home is made aware that a placement is required. It is not possible to complete the pre-admission procedure as defined in the Woodlands Residential Care Home Policy.

In this case the home’s manager, or designated person in charge, shall obtain as much information regarding the service user’s needs as possible in order to make a judgement as to whether the home can meet the service users needs.

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Are there activities organised for the residents?
We try to help residents to continue to enjoy as wide a range of individual and group activities and interests as possible, both inside and outside the home, to carry on with existing hobbies, pursuits and relationships.

To assist with the home’s social programme, there is an activities organiser. We have regular organised social activities such as coffee mornings, shopping trips, picnics, armchair keep-fit, clothes and shoes parties, book parties, entertainers and events involving other organisations and volunteers. We hope that friendships among residents will develop and that they will enjoy being part of a community, but there is no compulsion on a resident to join in any of the communal social activities.

There may be a charge associated with some social activities and services; where this applies, the details will be made clear to the residents in advance.

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Can residents practice their religious beliefs?
Residents who wish to practise their religion will be given every possible help and facility. In particular we will do the following:

• We will try to arrange transport for residents to any local place of worship if required.
• If asked to we will make contact with any local place of worship on a resident’s behalf. We are happy to try to arrange for a minister or a member of the relevant congregation to visit a resident who would like this.
• In the public areas of the home we celebrate the major annual Christian festivals. Residents have the opportunity to participate or not as they wish.
• Particular care will be taken to try to meet the needs of residents from other faiths. These should be discussed with the manager before admission.

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When are the meal times?
There are set mealtimes, but residents are free to choose when they eat. Hot and cold drinks, snacks and fresh fruit are available at all times. We aim to make all of the food and drink we provide attractive, appealing and appetising, and to mark special occasions and festivals.

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Can residents smoke?
For the benefit of all residents and staff, all areas of this home are designated as non-smoking.

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Have the residents access to a telephone?
There is a telephone point in every room. Rooms can be fitted with a telephone, if required. This will be at the resident’s cost.

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Is there access for wheelchairs?
The home is fully accessible to wheelchairs and has a lift to all levels.

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Can the residents look after their own money?
Each resident has the choice to manage their personal money. The Manager will if requested by a resident keep records and administer an account for the individual, although it is preferable for a relative or power of attorney to handle such personal monies.

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