7 May 2019
During a routine inspection
Blatchington Court is a residential care home that provides residential and personal care for up to 20 older people, all of whom are living with dementia. At the time of this inspection, 17 people were living at the home.
People’s experience of using this service:
People and their relatives spoke highly of the home and felt it was well-led and managed, with a high standard of care. Opportunities to drive continual improvement had been taken and a robust system of audits monitored and measured the service. An analysis of falls that people had sustained had resulted in an additional member of staff being employed during the early part of the day. This had brought about a reduction in the number of falls.
The use of technology had enabled people to share their views about the service they received in an accessible way. Feedback was positive. Staff enjoyed working at the home and were motivated by management to do their jobs well and to a high standard. For example, there was an ‘Employee of the month’ scheme, where a member of staff was nominated by their peers and could receive gift vouchers for exceptional work.
People felt safe living at the home and their risks had been identified and assessed, so that staff knew how to support people. There were enough staff to meet people’s needs and new staff were recruited safely. Systems were effective in ensuring people received their medicines as required. The home was clean and smelled fresh.
People’s needs and choices were met by staff who knew them well. Staff had the skills, knowledge and experience to deliver effective care and support and had completed a range of training. Staff had regular supervisions and attended staff meetings.
A choice of meals was available to people. Where needed, staff supported people to eat their meals. The home was comfortable and rooms were personalised. 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 supported by a range of healthcare professionals and services.
People were looked after by kind and caring staff who were patient, warm and friendly. People were encouraged to be involved in all aspects of their care and were treated with dignity and respect.
Care plans provided staff with detailed information and guidance for staff about people’s support needs, their likes, dislikes and preferences. Activities were organised and musical entertainers were popular, visiting the home three times a week. People had the opportunity to have dedicated one-to-one time with a staff member and could choose how they wanted to spend a ‘Golden Hour’ with staff.
Rating at last inspection:
At the last inspection, this service was rated as Good (published in November 2016).
Why we inspected:
This inspection took place in line with CQC scheduling guidelines for adult social care services.
Follow up:
We will review the service in line with our methodology for ‘Good’ services.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk