Balmoral Care Home

Balmoral Care Home is a residential home that was providing personal care for up to 33 people aged 65 and over at the time of the inspection. At the time of the inspection there were 25 people living in the home.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

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 practice.

Staff had received training in safeguarding and were aware of their responsibilities. People told us they felt safe. Safe systems of recruitment were in place and there were sufficient staff to meet people’s needs. Risks were well managed. Medicines were stored and administered safely. The home was very clean, and the risks associated with COVID-19 were well managed. People were supported to have visitors as per government guidance.

Staff received the induction, training and support they needed to carry out their roles effectively. People's needs were assessed before they started to live at the home. Their nutritional and health needs were met.

Staff were observed to have a kind and caring, unrushed approach. People were positive about the staff and the support they received. They told us staff were caring and kind and treated them with respect. One person said, “I feel that we are treated with dignity here and the carers speak to us nicely and with respect. Privacy is respected too, for example I can see people in my room in private.”

Clear support plans and risk assessments were in place to guide staff on the support and care people needed. There was a programme of improvements to the decoration, furnishings and fittings underway. There were activities on offer within the home and plans to reintroduce and offer new activities were in place. Complaints were well managed. People's wishes for end of life care and support were identified and respected.

There were systems of quality assurance checks and audits. People spoke highly of the registered manager and the way the service was managed and organised. The registered manager was committed to providing a person-centred service, staff shared this commitment.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection

This service was registered with us on 10 October 2020 and this is the first inspection. The last rating for the service under the previous provider was good, published on 11 March 2019.

Why we inspected

This is the first inspection of this service under a newly registered provider.

We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the Safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.

We found the following examples of good practice.

Staff and visitors were required to undertake COVID-19 testing and wear personal protective equipment (PPE) in line with current Government guidance. There were supplies of PPE readily available to staff and visitors.

Staff had received training in handwashing, Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) and the use of PPE. There were procedures and risk assessments to manage and minimise the risks COVID-19 presented to people who used the service, staff and visitors. The service was meeting the requirement to ensure non-exempt staff and visiting professionals were vaccinated against COVID-19.

The systems in place allowed people to be admitted to the home safely.

The registered manager was supporting visits for people living in the home in accordance with the current guidance. The home had a designated visiting area which had its own entrance. This helped keep people safe by minimising traffic within the home. Alternatives to in-person visiting, such as social media and phone calls were also supported.

The home was clean and uncluttered. New furnishings and flooring had been purchased to enable easier cleaning. Communal areas had been reorganised to promote social distancing.

The system in place ensured any infection outbreaks could be effectively prevented or managed. The registered manager had been in regular contact with the local authority, public health teams and external health professionals to enable people to receive the care and intervention they needed.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

We found the following examples of good practice.

¿ Systems were in place for ensuring safe visits, this included health screening and use of PPE. Local restrictions on visiting were in place at the time of the inspection and alternative measures such as video calls were being used.

¿ National guidance was followed on the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and regular Covid 19 testing of staff and residents was taking place. There were supplies of PPE readily available to staff and visitors. Staff had received appropriate infection control and prevention training.

¿ The home was clean. There was an ongoing programme of replacement of flooring and furnishings to help staff maintain this. Easy clean flooring and furnishings were being introduced.

¿ There were procedures, policies and risk assessments to manage and minimise the risks Covid 19 presented to people who used the service, staff and visitors. Managers and staff worked closely with a range of external health and social care professionals.

We were assured that this service met good infection prevention and control guidelines.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.