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CQC report explained · a residential care home, run by Maple Group

The Willows

38-39 Westminster Road, Coventry, CV1 3GB

Requires improvementpublished 28 January 2026, 7 months ago

Rated Requires improvement: inspectors found the service was not performing as well as it should and told it what to change.

The latest report, explained

What inspectors found, March 2024

Rated Requires Improvement; inspectors found some safer care improvements but ongoing issues with records and management oversight.

Inspectors visited The Willows care home unannounced on 5 September 2023 to check on safety and leadership. They spoke with residents, staff, and reviewed records and policies.

The home had made some progress since the last inspection, especially in assessing risks and managing medicines. However, some records were unclear or incomplete, such as those for medicines, fire safety plans, and food and fluid intake.

People said they felt safe and staff were kind, but some care plans lacked detail to ensure personalised support. The home had enough staff and followed safe recruitment practices.

The management had improved governance systems but these were still not fully effective. Some audits missed problems, and staff were unclear about emergency plans. The home was no longer in special measures but still rated Requires Improvement.

What inspectors praised

  • Staffing levels

    There were enough staff to meet people's needs and recruitment checks were safely carried out.

    “Now there are more staff we have more time with the residents. We are not rushed.” from the report

  • People felt safe

    Residents told inspectors they felt safe living at the home and staff were attentive to their needs.

    “It's very good. It's very friendly. There's always someone around and I'm not wanting for anything.” from the report

  • Infection control

    The home managed infection prevention well and had up to date policies to reduce risks.

    “We were assured that the provider was preventing visitors from catching and spreading infections.” from the report
What inspectors were concerned about

  • Care plans lacked detail

    needs fixing

    Some care plans did not give enough information for staff to provide personalised and consistent support.

    “Some care plans lacked the information that staff needed to provide personalised and safe care.” from the report
Questions to ask them, based on this report
  1. 01How does the home ensure medicines are always recorded accurately and safely managed?
  2. 02What steps are in place to keep fire evacuation plans up to date and staff informed?
  3. 03How does the home make sure care plans have enough detail to meet individual needs?
  4. 04What activities and emotional support are available to help residents feel engaged and connected?
  5. 05How does management check and improve the quality and safety of care regularly?

This was a focused inspection of Safe and Well-led only; the other ratings carry over from the last inspection. This explanation was written from the published report of 29 March 2024 by an AI system and checked against the report text: every quoted line appears in the report. It is a guide to the report, not a substitute for it. Read the full report on cqc.org.uk.

The story over the years

Every inspection of The Willows

6 rated inspections over 5 years: the service has held its Requires improvement rating throughout.

  1. March 2024Requires improvementcurrent ratingstayed Requires improvement
    Safe: Requires improvementEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Requires improvement

    Read what inspectors found at The Willows →

  2. March 2023Requires improvementstayed Requires improvement
    Safe: Requires improvementWell-led: Inadequate

    We are reading this report · the original is on cqc.org.uk

  3. May 2022Requires improvementup from Inadequate
    Safe: Requires improvementWell-led: Inadequate

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  4. July 2021Inadequatedown from Requires improvement
    Safe: InadequateWell-led: Inadequate

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  5. February 2020Requires improvementstayed Requires improvement
    Safe: Requires improvementWell-led: Requires improvement

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  6. February 2019Requires improvement
    Safe: Requires improvementEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Requires improvement

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  7. January 2018

    Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 9 January 2018.

Ratings and report dates from the Care Quality Commission. A service can also be visited without a new rating being published, so the timeline shows published inspections, not every contact the CQC has had with the service.

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