Bloomsbury House

Updated 23 March 2024

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 Health and Social Care Act 2008.

As part of this inspection we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place. This was conducted so we can understand the preparedness of the service in preventing or managing an infection outbreak, and to identify good practice we can share with other services.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by 1 inspector, a nurse specialist advisor and an Expert by Experience. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Service and service type

Bloomsbury House is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and/or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. Bloomsbury House is a care home without nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

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. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with 6 people and 4 relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with 6 professionals who have contact with the service. We spoke with 8 members of staff including the registered manager, senior care staff and care staff.

We reviewed a range of records. This included 6 people's care plans and a range of medicine administration records (MAR). We viewed a variety of records relating to the management of the service including audit systems. We spent time observing the care that people received within the home.

Updated 23 March 2024

About the service

Bloomsbury House is a residential care home providing personal to up to 24 people. The service provides support to people living with dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 15 people using the service.

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

People were not always protected from the risk of harm; we found systems were not effective in reducing risks to people, particularly through monitoring and seeking external support for health needs. Systems in place to safeguard people from abuse were not robust and processes for learning lessons were not effective in driving improvements.

People were not supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff did not support them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service did not support this practice.

Quality assurance systems were not effective for people. This meant the action taken by the provider had not ensured people received consistently safe and high-quality care. Shortfalls identified at the previous inspection had not been remedied by the provider.

People's preferences and person-centred needs were not always fully considered and met. Group activities were facilitated by the service, but some people spent long periods without any social interaction.

People were mostly treated in a caring and compassionate way, by staff who knew them well. However, the systems in place did not always facilitate a caring experience for people. People’s independence and ability to make personal choices was not always respected.

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

Rating at last inspection and update

The last rating for this service was requires improvement (published 30 April 2021).

We imposed conditions on the registration of the provider, with a view to ensuring the service made improvements towards meeting the regulations. At this inspection we found the provider remained in breach of regulations.

Why we inspected

The inspection was prompted in part due to concerns received about how people were supported with moving and handling, how people’s health needs were managed and how people with dementia were safely supported. A decision was made for us to inspect and examine those risks.

You can see what action we have asked the provider to take at the end of this full report.

Enforcement

We have identified breaches in relation to how people's safety was managed, how people were safeguarded from abuse, their rights promoted, people being treated with dignity and respect, how people's person-centred needs were met and how the service was run at this inspection.

Full information about CQC’s regulatory response to the more serious concerns found during inspections is added to reports after any representations and appeals have been concluded.

Follow up

The overall rating for this service is ‘Inadequate’ and the service is therefore in ‘special measures’. This means we will keep the service under review and, if we do not propose to cancel the provider’s registration, we will re-inspect within 6 months to check for significant improvements.

If the provider has not made enough improvement within this timeframe and there is still a rating of inadequate for any key question or overall rating, we will take action in line with our enforcement procedures. This will mean we will begin the process of preventing the provider from operating this service. This will usually lead to cancellation of their registration or to varying the conditions the registration.

For adult social care services, the maximum time for being in special measures will usually be no more than 12 months. If the service has demonstrated improvements when we inspect it and it is no longer rated as inadequate for any of the five key questions it will no longer be in special measures.