• Care Home
  • Care home

Archived: Balcombe Place Care Home

Haywards Heath Road, Balcombe, Haywards Heath, West Sussex, RH17 6QJ (01444) 811066

Provided and run by:
Balcombe Care Homes Limited

All Inspections

17 December 2013

During an inspection looking at part of the service

We carried out this inspection to follow up on concerns identified at our previous inspection in July 2013. We found that improvements had been made.

We spoke with the manager, three members of care staff, five people who lived at the home and one visiting relative. People were generally positive about the care and support they received. Comments included "I can do what I want", "Staff are very friendly", "They look after you, although agency staff are not as good", "I'm fed well" and "They look after you properly".

We found that care plans had been improved since our last inspection. Care records were well organised and kept up to date. Records and feedback from staff and the people at the home showed that care and treatment was planned and delivered in a way that was intended to ensure people's safety and welfare. We found that call bells were answered in a timely manner and were regularly monitored by the manager.

Policies and procedures for safeguarding had been updated and most staff had received recent training in safeguarding vulnerable adults. We saw that action was taken where risks to people had been identified.

We found that people's personal records including medical records were accurate and fit for purpose. The system for record keeping had been improved since our previous inspection. Records were kept up to date and completed as necessary. Care plans had been reorganised and information was easy to find and understand.

24 July 2013

During an inspection in response to concerns

We spoke with eight people who used the service, three relatives, three staff and the manager. People told us they liked living at Balcombe Place. Comments included "This place is super", "I love it here" and "Staff are good".

We found that people were treated with respect and were encouraged to make choices and decisions. There were regular resident meetings where people could express their views.

People told us they were "Cared for" and "Looked after". We saw that people were supported at an appropriate pace. Care plans were reviewed regularly but information was not always clear about the care to be provided. There were delays in answering call bells which meant that people were not always protected in the event of an emergency.

We found that there was a lack of training and up to date information for staff on how to safeguard people.

Rotas and feedback from people and staff confirmed that there were sufficient numbers of qualified, skilled and experienced staff to meet people's needs.

We found that there were systems in place to maintain the quality of the service and that action was taken if needed. However, it was not always clear if action taken was effective.

People's personal records were stored securely. However, care planning records were sometimes confusing and poorly organised meaning that important information could get overlooked. This meant people were at risk of receiving inappropriate care.

19 December 2012

During a routine inspection

People told us they were given choices in their care and in activities and that they felt safe. They told us that they were treated with respect and listened to. We observed staff communicating respectfully with people and assisting them in making choices.

A family member that we spoke to told us that they were, "very impressed with staff". A visiting clinician told us that they believed that the home had a good relationship with the local doctors' surgery and that staff contacted it for advice.

We looked at care records and found that people had individualised care plans. We read people's daily records, which confirmed to us that the care plans were being carried out.

We saw that the home had a procedure for safeguarding people and had used it when there were concerns. Staff had received training in safeguarding people from abuse and refresher staff training was provided regularly.

We saw sufficient numbers of staff and suitably trained staff on duty. We saw staff files and training records that showed staff had received suitable training.

Records showed the home had systems in place to assess and monitor the quality of service people received. We saw that when people made complaints, they were responded to appropriately and changes were made by the service.

11 October 2011

During a routine inspection

People told us that they like living at Balcombe Place and that the service meets their care needs. Reference was made to the kindness of the staff and the good relationship that the people who live at the home have with the staff.

We were told that people felt supported by the staff to receive the care they need, based on their assessed needs and they felt able to maintain their independence. They told us that every effort is made by the staff to treat them with dignity and respect whilst helping them maintain their mobility, independence and regain confidence. One person told us 'the staff are very respectful and caring and always knock before coming in to our room'.

People using the service confirmed that they were able to make choices about their daily living routines, the food they wished to eat and activities they wished to participate with. Regular activities are provided and residents told us how popular some of the activities were.

We spoke with many people resident at the home who told us that they thought the service generally had enough staff on duty although they remarked that they were always busy, especially at night. We were told that generally call bells were responded to reasonably quickly but on occasions they had to wait longer than they would have liked. Everyone that we spoke to said that they found staff kind and caring.

When we asked people if they knew who to speak to if they had any concerns or complaints we were told that they would speak to the manager and had confidence that their concerns would be addressed immediately.

The provider was able to show us evidence that dignity meetings and training have been provided for staff throughout 2011. Audits which are undertaken each month are discussed with staff during these meetings.

29 June 2011

During an inspection in response to concerns

People told us that staff were kind and provided them with the support they needed when they needed it. One visitor told us that the care their relative had received was second to none. They also told us that they were very happy with the way the home was run the food they were provided with and the activities that were on offer.