Balmoral House

Updated 27 February 2021

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 Care Act 2014.

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 two inspectors.

Service and service type

Balmoral House is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

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. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with six people who used the service and two relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with seven members of staff including the registered manager, deputy manager, senior care worker, two care workers, chef and head housekeeper.

We reviewed a range of records. This included six people’s care records and multiple medication records. We looked at four staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

After the inspection

We spoke with five professionals who regularly visited the service.

Updated 27 February 2021

About the service

Balmoral House is a purpose-built residential care home that can accommodate up to 60 people over two floors. The service was providing personal care to 46 older people and people living with dementia at the time of the inspection.

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

People were happy with the care they received, they felt safe and well looked after. Staff had been recruited safely and there were enough staff on duty who were provided with the appropriate training to enable them to carry out their roles effectively.

The home was clean and tidy and additional cleaning was taking place to keep people safe from the risk of infection.

Care plans were up to date, risk assessments were in place and regularly reviewed. The registered manager carried out regular checks and analysis of falls and incidents to ensure learning from events was undertaken. This meant risks to people's health and safety were reduced.

People received their medicines on time and when they needed them. Staff had positive links with healthcare professionals which promoted people's wellbeing.

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.

People and staff spoke highly of the registered manager and their commitment to the service.

A system was in place which was used to monitor the quality and safety of the service. People were regularly asked their views on the service provided and action had been taken when suggestions were made.

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

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was Good (published 27 February 2019).

Why we inspected

The inspection was prompted in part due to concerns received about infection control. A decision was made for us to inspect and examine those risks.

We undertook a focused inspection to review the key questions of safe and well-led only.

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 coronavirus and other infection outbreaks effectively.

We reviewed the information we held about the service. No areas of concern were identified in the other key questions. We therefore did not inspect them. Ratings from previous comprehensive inspections for those key questions were used in calculating the overall rating at this inspection.

We found no evidence during this inspection that people were at risk of harm from this concern. Please see the safe and well-led sections of this full report.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Balmoral House on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.