Background to this inspection
Updated
15 November 2023
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 1 inspector.
Service and service type
Dunblane House is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and/or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. Dunblane House is a care home without nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.
The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided. The registered manager was not available during the inspection process.
Notice of inspection
This was a small family run home so we gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be available to support the inspection. Inspection activity started on 17 October 2023 and ended on the 20 October 2023.
What we did before the inspection
We reviewed information we had received about the service since their registration. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke with 2 people who lived at Dunblane House, the provider and registered manager. We looked at a range of records. These included 2 people’s care records, fire and maintenance records and audits of the service.
Updated
15 November 2023
About the service
Dunblane House is a large terraced house supporting up to four people living with learning difficulties. It is situated in a residential area of Blackpool close to local amenities. It is run as a domestic family household. People live with the owners and share the communal facilities. Each person has their own bedroom. There is an outside area with seating at the rear of the property. At the time of the inspection 2 people lived at the home.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
We expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ is the guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements about services supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people and providers must have regard to it.
Right Support:
The service supported people to have choices and promoted their independence. This is a small family run home however staff had completed training to ensure they understood the meaning of the service they provided. People were supported to pursue their interests whilst living at Dunblane House. One person said, “I like going to the centre and enjoy playing dominoes.” People were encouraged to have maximum choice and control of their lives. The provider and staff helped them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. People’s medication was managed by staff and required prompting support only. Staff were trained to administer medication.
Right Care:
People received kind and compassionate care from the provider and their family. One person said, “I am so glad to be a part of the family and live here.” The provider and staff protected and respected people’s privacy and dignity. They spoke about people with respect and were knowledgeable about people who lived at Dunblane House. Staff understood how to protect people from poor care and abuse. They had received training on how to recognise and report abuse. No new staff had been recruited since the previous inspection and the home was run as a family home. Where appropriate, the provider and staff encouraged and enabled people to take positive risks and live an independent life as possible.
Right Culture:
The service promoted person-centred care involving people who used the service and their families. People led inclusive and empowered lives because of the ethos, values, attitudes and behaviours of the management team and staff. People were involved in planning their care. The provider and registered manager evaluated the quality of support provided to people. This involved the person, their families and other professionals as appropriate. Staff ensured risks of a closed culture were minimised, so people received support based on transparency and respect. The management team had an informal range of systems and processes to monitor the quality of the service and drive improvements.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
The service was rated good on the 08 July 2018
Why we inspected
We undertook this inspection to assess that the service is applying the principles of right support, right care and right culture.
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.