Background to this inspection
Updated
6 March 2020
The inspection
We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
Inspection team
Two inspectors carried out this inspection on day one and one inspector on day two.
Service and service type
Bluebell nursing home is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.
The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.
Notice of inspection
This inspection was unannounced.
What we did before the inspection
We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke with eight people who used the service and six relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with eleven members of staff including the nominated individual, registered manager, assistant manager, nurses, senior care workers, care workers and the chef. We used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI). SOFI is a way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us.
We reviewed a range of records. This included six people’s care records and 12 medication records. We looked at five staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.
After the inspection
We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at training data and quality assurance records. We spoke with two professionals who regularly visit the service.
Updated
6 March 2020
About the service
Blue Bell Care Home provides accommodation, nursing and personal care for up 48 older people, some of whom are living with dementia. The home is arranged over three floors. At the time of our inspection there were 43 people who used the service.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People received a personalised, caring service. People told us they received very kind and respectful support from staff who promoted their abilities, knew them well and genuinely enjoyed their company. The whole staff group worked as a team to support people in a person-centred way. Care was planned, risk assessed and provided in full consultation and involvement of people and their relatives, where this was appropriate.
People, staff and external professionals were extremely confident in the management of the service. Everyone described an open culture where they were listened to. The enthusiasm of the nominated individual, registered manager and team to continuously improve the service, was evident by their commitment and dedication.
There were effective quality assurance processes in place, which supported the delivery of high-quality care. Staff were valued, and their achievements were recognised and rewarded. Teamwork was evident, with staff working together in delivering the values of the service. People were actively involved in the service and their feedback had led to improvements.
The environment was very clean and homely and was maintained to a high standard with personalised bedrooms. Audits and monitoring systems were used effectively to manage the service and to make improvements as and when required.
Relatives commented, "I feel the care my relative receives is individually suited to their needs, and they are very much treated as an individual"; "The staff keep me very well informed about my relative's condition and what's happening to improve things since they moved here from hospital" and, "I visit my relative daily and without fail, the atmosphere is lovely, and all the staff are so friendly and welcoming."
People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this.
The service was very well-led. The registered manager, management team and staff were extremely open to hearing feedback on the service and acting promptly to correct anything the inspection team identified.
There was an open, caring culture that demonstrated staff were passionate about supporting people. Everyone told us that this culture emanated from the registered manager and nominated individual.
The provider's quality assurance processes were effective and there was a focus on continuous improvement and seeking out ways to offer personalised care. People, relatives and staff all felt valued as individuals and partners in their care and the running of the service. The registered manager provided empowering and high-quality support for staff to be able to do their job effectively. They, the staff team and the provider acted to ensure continuous excellent quality care, for people living at Bluebell care home.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
The last rating for this service was Good last report (published 19 April 2017).
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.