Blue Fountain Care Limited

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• Overview
• Assessing needs
• Delivering evidence-based care and treatment
• How staff, teams and services work together
• Supporting people to live healthier lives
• Monitoring and improving outcomes
• Consent to care and treatment

Effective – this means we looked for evidence that people’s care, treatment and support achieved good outcomes and promoted a good quality of life, based on best available evidence.

This is the first assessment for this newly registered service. This key question has been rated good. This meant people’s outcomes were consistently good, and people’s feedback confirmed this.

This service scored 75 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

People received their medicines safely and as prescribed, resulting in reduced risks of missed doses and medication errors. One relative explained that “the carers put mum’s tablets out for her to take and make sure that she has taken them. They collect the tablets from the chemist,” which helped ensure continuity of treatment and relieved the family of the burden of managing prescriptions. Medication risk assessments, care plans and Medication Administration Record (MAR) charts clearly guided staff on how to administer medicines, including patches and “as required” medicines, supporting consistent and confident practice.

As a result, people experienced fewer delays and greater reassurance that medicines were given correctly. Staff were trained in medication administration and understood the importance of recording refusals and omissions accurately, which helped identify patterns such as side effects or changing needs and enabled timely reviews by health professionals. Spot checks, audits and competency assessments were used to monitor practice and identify learning needs, leading to improvements where issues such as incomplete records were found. This contributed to safer outcomes for people and increased confidence among families that medicines were being managed effectively. Staff worked closely with GPs, pharmacies and other professionals, resulting in timely prescription updates and reduced disruptions to people’s care.

The provider ensured people received effective, evidence‑based care through comprehensive, person‑centred assessments and detailed care plans. that reflected physical and mental health needs, risks, routines and preferences, including falls, nutrition, skin integrity and medicines, which were regularly reviewed and updated. People and relatives were actively involved; 1 person said, “I am involved in the planning of my care. Everything is written in my care plan which the carers check each time they visit. They are very thorough.” One relative told us, “I wrote the care plan with a member of the team before the care started and it details all mum’s needs. The carers document in it every day. The care plan can change as and when it needs to.” Staff followed clear, up‑to‑date guidance, used recognised monitoring tools such as food and fluid charts and medication records, and sought timely advice from healthcare professionals when needs changed. This was evident when one relative told us, “My daughter is currently in hospital, and the care team have continued to provide the full care while she is there. When she has a deteriorating episode, they understand fully how to deal with it and support my daughter and the hospital staff.” As a result, people received safe, consistent and responsive care based on good practice, felt listened to, and had confidence their needs were understood and effectively met.

The provider ensured people’s care and treatment was well coordinated through effective teamwork and partnership working. Staff shared information consistently through handovers, daily records and communication logs, which helped ensure continuity and consistency of care. The service worked closely with external professionals such as GPs, nurses and therapists to support people’s health needs and respond promptly to changes, including during hospital admissions and discharges. One healthcare professional commented, “The communication from the staff is excellent. Care plans are clear, up to date and they respond quickly to any changes we highlight, which makes joint working straightforward.” Staff told us they felt supported and confident to raise concerns, which helped ensure people received coordinated, safe and responsive care.

The provider supported people to live healthier lives. Care plans promoted independence, wellbeing and meaningful activity, helping people stay active and engaged. Staff supported people to attend healthcare appointments, take part in activities they enjoyed, such as walks or gym sessions, and maintain relationships, which improved their physical and emotional wellbeing.

Staff encouraged and supported people to eat and drink well. They monitored risks to nutrition and hydration and took action where needed, helping people maintain a balanced diet and avoid deterioration. Staff told us they supported one person with regular leg exercises, which improved their strength and mobility and reduced their reliance on support.

Staff involved health professionals promptly when concerns arose. This ensured people received timely care and treatment, helping them maintain their health, prevent avoidable decline and experience better overall wellbeing.

The provider used effective systems to monitor people’s outcomes and drive improvement. Staff maintained clear daily records and reviewed care regularly to check whether outcomes were being achieved. Audits were completed on key areas such as care planning and medicines, and incidents and concerns were recorded and reviewed to support learning; staff told us learning from incidents was shared through team discussions and changes to practice, helping reduce future risks. Feedback from people and relatives was actively sought and acted upon, with one relative saying, “I can leave a note for the carers with any message I have, or I can drop in and see them; they are always very responsive.” For example, following feedback requesting clearer daily updates, the provider improved the level of detail in care records, resulting in better communication and reassurance for families and demonstrating continuous improvement in response to feedback

The provider ensured people’s consent to care and treatment was obtained and respected, in line with the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). Staff understood the importance of gaining consent and told us they always explained care before providing it; one member of staff said, “We talk people through what we are going to do and check they are happy before we start. If they are unsure, we pause and try again later.” Where people had capacity, they were fully involved in decisions about their care, with one relative telling us, “The social worker and the agency wrote the care plan with mum (mum has the capacity to do this). I have seen the care plan, and it details all her needs and includes the care package details, equipment required and any contact details.” For people with limited capacity, staff took practical steps to enable choice, such as offering simple explanations, using clear language, breaking decisions into smaller steps and offering choices one at a time, for example asking what time support was preferred or which clothes to wear. The provider had obtained information from relatives if they had lasting power of attorney (LPA). Where capacity assessments were needed, these were completed appropriately and best‑interest decisions were recorded, with the least restrictive options considered. This ensured people’s rights were respected and care was delivered lawfully, compassionately and in line with individual abilities and preferences.