Higher Bank

Updated 4 March 2021

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

As part of CQC’s response to the coronavirus pandemic we are looking at the preparedness of care homes in relation to infection prevention and control. This was a targeted inspection looking at the infection control and prevention measures the provider has in place.

This inspection took place on 17 February 2021 and was announced.

Updated 4 March 2021

Higher Bank is a residential care home for up to 22 older people who require support with personal care. Accommodation is provided in 18 single bedrooms and two double rooms on two floors. The home is in a residential area close to Blackburn town centre. There were 19 people living at the service at the time of our inspection.

At our last inspection we rated the service good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

Why the service is rated good:

People told us they felt safe in Higher Bank and that there were always enough staff available to meet their needs. Staff had been safely recruited and understood how to protect people from the risk of abuse.

People were cared for in a safe and clean environment. The provider had made a number of improvements to the home since the last inspection. We have made a recommendation in relation to creating a 'dementia friendly' environment when further improvements are considered. Arrangements were in place to deal with any emergencies which might occur in the home.

People had their medicines as prescribed and these were managed safely. The provider had systems in place to learn when things went wrong.

Staff received the induction, training and support necessary to enable them to provide effective care. Staff had a good understanding of the care and support that people required. Interactions between staff and the people who used the service were warm, friendly and relaxed.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. People were provided with high quality meals of their choice and had their health needs met.

Care plans and risk assessments were person centred and provided guidance for staff on how to meet people’s needs and preferences. There were established arrangements in place to ensure the care plans were reviewed and updated regularly. People were encouraged to remain as independent as possible and were supported to participate in a variety of activities. People were also offered the opportunity to attend events in the local community.

The registered managers provided strong, supportive leadership to the staff team. Systems were in place to monitor the quality of the service provided and ensure people received safe and effective care; these included seeking and responding to feedback from people in relation to the standard of care. We noted all the responses in the annual satisfaction survey completed in April 2018 were positive about the way the home was run.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.