Bluebell Park

We found the following examples of good practice.

COVID-19 screening was undertaken before people were able to enter the home and personal protective equipment (PPE) was provided.

During the COVID-19 outbreak at the home, the provider and registered manager had closed the home to non-essential visitors. People were supported to contact their relatives and friends through video calls, telephone calls and window visits.

Government guidelines were followed to enable essential care givers and the families of people receiving end of life care to continue to visit.

Enhanced cleaning schedules included regular cleaning of touch areas such as handrails and door handles. This reduced the risk of cross infection.

Staff had received training in infection prevention and control and the use of PPE. Staff were observed wearing PPE appropriately.

Staff and people at the home accessed regular testing for COVID-19 so that action could be taken if anyone developed symptoms or had a positive test result.

The infection prevention and control policy was up to date.

Proactive measures were in place to keep people and staff safe. People and staff had risk assessments in place to identify their individual risks associated with COVID-19.

Bluebell Park is a ‘care home’ for older people, some of whom are living with sight loss and/or dementia. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Bluebell Park is registered to provide residential and nursing care for up to 64 older people living with dementia and/or a physical disability. The home was purpose-build and is on three floors divided into three communities, Memory Lane, Woodland View, and Bramble Way. There is a range of communal areas including lounges, dining rooms, and secluded gardens. On the day of our inspection visit there were 62 people living at the home.

There was a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

All the people and relatives we spoke with said they would recommend the home to others. They said the home had a warm and caring atmosphere and the registered manager and staff were professional and kind. They said the staff encouraged people to do as much as possible for themselves and supported them with things that they could not manage. All the interactions we saw between staff and people were warm and personalised.

People and relatives told us the home was a safe place where staff provided good quality care and support. Staff were trained in safeguarding (protecting people who use care services from abuse) and knew what to do if they were concerned about the welfare of any of the people living at the home. Staff were knowledgeable about people’s needs and knew how to support them to stay safe.

There were sufficient staff to meet people’s needs and people did not have to wait long for assistance. Staff supported people in a knowledgeable and caring manner, providing personal care, company and reassurance where necessary. They were trained according to their roles and understood the importance of people consenting to their care and support.

All areas of the home were clean and fresh. The premises were purpose built and designed to provide a safe and spacious environment for people. People and relatives told us the food was of a good standard and quality. Lunchtime was calm and unhurried. Staff gave each person individual attention, discussing the menu choices with them and asking them what they would like. If people needed assistance with their meals staff provided this.

People had access to healthcare professionals when they needed them and staff worked closely with a range of healthcare professionals, including GPs, community nurses, dieticians, opticians, dentists and chiropodists, to ensure people’s medical needs were met. Medicines were safely managed at the home.

The home provided a wide range of group and individual activities for people to take part in if they wanted to. An activity board was displayed in the entrance hall showing the activities available each day. People told us they enjoyed the activities and looked forward to visiting entertainers and trips out.

People told us they knew how to make a complaint and would be confident to do this if they had any concerns. The registered manager and staff said they continually checked that people were happy with the service and said that by doing this they hoped to create a culture where people felt safe to speak out if they had any concerns.

There were effective systems in place to monitor the quality of the service. Records showed that ongoing improvements were made and these were documented on an action plan which was regularly reviewed by senior managers and the provider. Relatives told us the home held regular meetings which they could attend with their family members to share their views on the service.

Bluebell Park Home is registered to provide nursing care for up to 64 older people living with dementia and or a physical disability. The home is divided into three communities, Memory Lane Woodland View and Bramble Way which are over three floors. Communal living areas were located on all three floors. Lifts were in place to access the first floors, as well as stairwells.

There was a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are 'registered persons'. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

Staffing levels did not ensure that there were sufficient numbers of staff to meet people’s individual needs. People and relatives we spoke with felt people were safe at Bluebell Park. The provider had taken steps to protect people from harm. Staff had an understanding of potential abuse and their responsibility in keeping people safe.

People and relatives knew how to raise concerns. However, some relatives felt that their complaints were not always well managed and they did not feel listened to. This meant complaints were not always well managed and issues were not resolved satisfactorily.

The provider had procedures in place for the management of medicine. This showed the provider could be confident that people were always receiving the correct medicine and dose. However the provider needs to ensure the quantity of medicines into the service are recorded accurately.

Recruitment procedures ensured suitable staff were employed to work with people who used the service.

Risks to people were identified and assessed, however risk assessments were not always detailed.

We observed staff sought people's consent before they provided care and support. Some people were subject to restrictions and the provider had identified where their support needed to be reviewed Staff received training to meet the needs of people living at the service and received supervision, to support and develop their skills.

People received food and drink that met their nutritional needs. However one person was not always following advice from a health care professional with regards to their dietary needs and management told us they would continue to monitor this. People had access to health support; referrals were made to relevant health care professionals when required.

People were supported by staff that were generally kind and caring. People's choices and decisions were respected. Staff respected people's privacy and dignity. People's independence was promoted.

There were processes in place for people and their relatives to express their views and opinions about the service provided. There were systems in place to monitor the quality of the service to enable the registered manager and provider to drive improvement.

Staff felt supported by the registered manager. However some people felt the management at Blubell Park were not always approachable and did not feel they listened to concerns.

We spoke with three people who used the service, two relatives and four members of staff including the registered manager.

People who used the service that we spoke with were happy with the care that was provided. One person whose relative used the service told us 'I haven't got one complaint', and that 'Staff are fantastic'. One person who used the service told us that they thought the care was 'Generally very good'.

We found that care plans and risk assessments were up to date and had been reviewed regularly helping to ensure that people's needs were met.

Medication administration records that we looked at were fully completed and medication was stored correctly.

One person we spoke with stated 'they try their hardest to make it like home'. Another told us 'they do a very professional job'. We were also told that the provider had 'been flexible and accommodating' to their relatives needs.

People did not raise any concerns about their care. However we found that care plans did not always reflect people's needs and action identified had not always been carried out. We observed that people's needs were not always met in a timely way or that people were appropriately supervised which may put their welfare at risk.

Sufficient pre employment checks had been carried out on staff members.

We found that people were not always given medication in accordance with the prescribing directions. Some medicines were stored incorrectly. The provider had not always adhered to their own policy.

We found that the provider had sufficient staff employed. People told us that staff were respectful and one person stated 'they don't speak down to people'.

Please see our previous report for full comments.