Balmoral Care Home

On this page

• Overview
• Shared direction and culture
• Capable, compassionate and inclusive leaders
• Freedom to speak up
• Workforce equality, diversity and inclusion
• Governance, management and sustainability
• Partnerships and communities
• Learning, improvement and innovation

Staff were positive about the management team and the support they received. Staff and management were seen to work in partnership with people, relatives, and professionals. People and relatives felt the service was managed well and overall were kept well informed. Staff felt they were consulted and actively involved in service development. The management team were clear about their roles and responsibilities and there were systems in place to monitor and improve the quality of the service. This included learning lessons when things went wrong.

This service scored 75 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

Managers and staff told us they aimed to give people they supported the best quality person centred care they could. The managers and staff worked well together as a team. One staff member commented, “Happy team. I give a distinction for that.”

The new provider was in the process of developing their strategy around mission, vision and values. Although this wasn’t yet in place, we noted that all levels were passionate about promoting a positive culture that was person centred, open, inclusive, and empowering. Leaders were knowledgeable about their regulatory responsibilities and also about the priorities for the development of the service.

The provider was aware of the need for quality services and had systems and processes in place to provide appropriate support to people they provided care for, and for their staff team. Staff told us they felt supported and valued by managers. One staff said, “Managers are very approachable. Feel listened to as staff.”

The provider kept up to date with best practice and changes in legislation. We saw examples of how the provider had identified issues which may have impacted the service and how they had taken proactive measures to address them. Systems and processes were in place to provide support to staff which in turn promoted a positive and inclusive culture.

The provider offered regular opportunities to listen to feedback and to use this to drive improvements. Staff felt confident their voices were heard and action would be taken if concerns were raised. One staff said, “Yes, find really approachable if I have any problems or need to speak to them about anything.”

There were policies in place on safeguarding and whistleblowing. Staff received training on and were aware of how to whistle blow should the need arise. Feedback was gathered and action from feedback was taken to drive improvements. A range of methods were used to gather people’s views about what the care home did well or might do better. The provider had a complaint’s process which detailed how people could raise concerns if they were dissatisfied with the service they received and the process for dealing with their concerns.

The senior team promoted workforce diversity and had systems in place to support any protected characteristics staff may have. Staff spoken to were positive about the support they received and gave examples of when additional support had been given to meet their individual circumstances. One staff told us about the support they had been given for their personal circumstances, “Service has been really supportive and flexible with hours.”

The provider had policies and procedures in place regarding equality, diversity and inclusion. Staff were provided with contracts of employment which gave them information about their rights. Training was provided for staff on Equality and Diversity.

Staff were aware of their roles and responsibilities and felt involved in decisions about the service. One staff member said, “They do listen and find a solution to anything we raise. We speak together and find a solution together and what can work.”

The service had recently been taking over by a new provider and a new electronic recording system introduced. Systems were in place to manage this and ease transition. The provider had structures in place to monitor and improve the quality of care they delivered. Systems such as audits and quality monitoring were used to check the quality and safety of the service and actions plans were noted to be in place to address issues highlighted. The registered manager was aware of their responsibilities to notify partners. For example, notifications to CQC and safeguarding alerts. The provider had a business continuity plan which detailed how they would be prepared for emergencies.

Overall people and their relatives were positive about their experience of the team at Balmoral. One relative commented, “I can’t think of anything they could do better for [relative] or us. I certainly would recommend the home.” However, relatives did raise that they had limited information about the change of provider and for those families who don’t live close by the option of a remote video meeting was suggested. One relative said, “I was aware (Imperial Care) had taken over. I don’t have any concerns about that, but I haven’t actually had any proper communication about it”. Another said, “I live 4½ hours away and thus cannot attend residents’ meetings so having the minutes of them would be something. In this digital age it would be good if I could join these meetings remotely.”

The management team had a strong commitment to improving the service and were open to suggestions for improvement, recognising the importance of joint working with partner agencies. Staff were also aware of the value of working in partnership, with professionals, people and with other staff

We received limited feedback from partners all of which was positive. However, we saw examples of how the provider worked in partnership with a range of partners.

Records seen evidenced involvement of partners. Advice was sought, and referrals were made in a timely manner which allowed continuity of care. The provider had invested in new technology which provided greater flexibility for monitoring and improving care.

Staff told us they were encouraged to contribute their ideas about what the service did well and what they could do better during regular individual and group meetings with their line managers and other staff. This showed the provider was willing to listen and take prompt action in response to feedback received from staff. A member of staff told us, “We have regular staff or unit meetings or in between speak to [Registered Manager]. We ask can we try and input this and weigh up pros and cons and come up with best plan.”

The management team were proactive in using information from audits, complaints, incidents, and safeguarding alerts to improve the service. The managers worked with staff to understand how things went wrong and involved them in finding solutions.