• Care Home
  • Care home

Blair Park Residential Care Home

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

2 Beechwood Avenue Crown Road, Milton Regis, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME10 2AL (01795) 423695

Provided and run by:
Charing Park Investments Limited

All Inspections

27 September 2022

During an inspection looking at part of the service

About the service

Blair Park Residential care home is a large detached house in a quiet residential area. It provides care and support for up to 47 older people, most of who are living with dementia. At this inspection, there were 31 people living in the service.

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

People told us, “They [staff] do everything you want them to do, so it’s not a problem. And they are very good giving choices.” And “Staff are very good, friendly and brilliant’”

People were protected from the risk of harm as robust safeguarding procedures were in place and staff had a good understanding of their responsibilities. Risks associated with people’s care and wellbeing were safely managed.

We found that staff were adhering to government guidance on Covid-19. We observed staff wearing masks correctly in the service.

Staff were recruited safely, and checks were completed. People were supported by staff with the relevant skills and experience, which enabled them to meet people’s needs. Staff also received appropriate training to enable them to carry out their roles safely. Staffing rotas showed, and we observed there were enough staff deployed to meet people's needs.

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.

Medicines were safely managed and administered. Staff received appropriate medicine administration training. Staff understood and demonstrated their responsibilities to raise concerns, to record safety incidents, concerns and near misses, and to report them internally and externally, where appropriate.

People and staff were encouraged to provide feedback about how the service could be improved. This was used to make changes and improvements that people wanted. The manager had good oversight of the service and the staffing team.

The manager and staff team learnt from incidents that had happened. Any incidents were discussed, and trends and pattern analysed to improve the service.

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 10 July 2017).

Why we inspected

We received concerns in relation to management of the service and staffing. As a result, we undertook a focused inspection to review the key questions of safe and well-led only. For those key questions not inspected, we used the ratings awarded at the last inspection to calculate the overall rating.

The overall rating for the service has remained Good based on the findings of this inspection.

We found no evidence during this inspection that people were at risk of harm from this concern. Please see 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 Blair Park Residential Care Home on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.

10 February 2022

During an inspection looking at part of the service

Blair Park Residential care home is a large detached house in a quiet residential area. It provides care and support for up to 47 older people, most of who are living with dementia. At this inspection, there were 28 people living in the service.

We found the following examples of good practice.

Visitors were asked about their Lateral Flow Test (LFT) result to ensure they were negative before staff facilitated the visit, temperatures were taken with a standalone automatic temperature taking machine, which further reduces the possibility of transmission. Visitors were also advised to sanitise their hands-on arrival and wear face masks.

Arrangements were in place for visitors to meet in a safe area within and outside the service which minimised the risk of infection spread. The registered manager had opened up the home for visiting based on latest government guidance.

Plans were in place to isolate people with COVID-19 to minimise transmission if required. The service had good supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE) such as masks and hand sanitisers that were readily available at stations throughout the service.

Staff had received training on how to keep people safe during the COVID-19 pandemic and staff and were regularly tested for COVID-19. The building was clean and free from clutter and there were enhanced cleaning practices.

7 June 2017

During a routine inspection

Blair Park Residential care home is a large detached house in a quiet residential area. It provides care and support for up to 47 older people, most of who are living with dementia. There were 38 people living at the service when we visited.

At the last inspection, the service was rated Good. At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

The service had a strong, person centred culture and the ethos was that of an extended family. People and their relatives told us the staff were extremely caring, compassionate, attentive and dedicated in the way they supported people. Staff had built positive and caring relationships with people. Interactions between people and staff were affectionate, relaxed and tailored to each person. Staff offered people reassurance and encouragement when supporting them. People were supported to expand their social circle and build friendships through links with the local community, including churches and schools. The management team and staff supported people to feel welcome in the service and to build relationships with the other people who lived there. Staff were exceptionally skilled at demonstrating a caring approach to people with dementia.

People were involved in developing and updating their care plans. People’s care plans were person centred and showed what people could do for themselves and how they preferred to be supported. People were supported to make their own decisions and remain as independent as possible. Staff supported people in the least restrictive way possible. Staff treated people with the utmost dignity and respect. People’s privacy was protected and promoted by all staff. People could have visitors whenever they liked and were supported to maintain relationships with family and friends. There were dedicated activity staff and they offered a wide variety of activities.

People told us they felt safe at the service. Staff recognised different types of abuse and knew who they would report any concerns to, they were confident that the registered manager or deputy manager would address any issues. Risks to people were identified, assessed and plans were put in place which gave staff the guidance needed to manage and minimise the risks. People’s medicines were managed safely and in the way they preferred.

There were enough staff to meet people’s needs and they were recruited safely. Staff told us they were well supported, they had regular one to one meetings with their line manager and had the training required to meet people’s needs. People, staff and relatives told us that the registered manager and deputy manager were approachable and accessible. Everyone working at the service shared the same visions and values, which were to give people excellent care and support them to have the best lives possible.

People had a choice of food and drinks each day which met their dietary and cultural needs. When people were at risk of losing weight they were referred to a nutritionist and any guidance put in place was followed by staff. People had access to healthcare professionals when required and any concerns about people’s health were responded to quickly.

The registered manager asked people for feedback about the service and their care on a regular basis and took action to address any issues raised. People and relatives told us they knew who to speak to if they had a complaint and were confident any issues would be addressed. Both the registered manager and the deputy manager had clear oversight of the service, using regular audits and addressed any issues as they arose. Staff worked in line with policies and systems established in the service to provided people with a high standard of care and support.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

23 February 2015

During a routine inspection

The inspection was carried out on 23 February 2015 and was unannounced.

At our previous inspection on 4 March 2014 we identified one breach of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2010. The breach was in relation to how records were stored and kept confidential. The provider sent us an action plan telling us they would be meeting the regulation by 15 August 2014. At this inspection we found that improvements had been made and they were meeting the regulations.

The service provided accommodation and personal care for older people some of whom may be living with dementia. The accommodation was arranged over two floors. A passenger lift and stair lift was available to take people between floors. There were 38 people living in the service when we inspected.

There was a registered manager employed at the service. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) monitors the operation of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) which applies to care services. Restrictions imposed on people were only considered after their ability to make individual decisions had been assessed as required under the Mental Capacity Act (2005) Code of Practice. The registered manager understood when an application should be made. Decisions people made about their care or medical treatment were dealt with lawfully and fully recorded.

People felt safe. Staff had received training about protecting people from abuse and showed a good understanding of what their responsibilities were in preventing abuse. The management team had access to and understood the safeguarding policies of the local authority.

The registered manager and care staff assessed people’s needs and planned people’s care to maintain their safety, health and wellbeing. Risks were assessed and management plans implemented by staff to protect people from harm.

There were policies and a procedure in place for the safe administration of medicines. Staff followed these policies and had been trained to administer medicines safely.

People had access to GPs and their health and wellbeing was supported by prompt referrals and access to medical care if they became unwell.

People and their relatives described a service that was welcoming and friendly. Staff provided friendly compassionate care and support. People were encouraged to get involved in how their care was planned and delivered.

Staff upheld people’s right to choose who was involved in their care and people’s right to do things for themselves was respected.

The registered manager involved people in planning their care by assessing their needs when they first moved in and then by asking people if they were happy with the care they received. Staff knew people well and people had been asked about who they were and about their life experiences. This helped staff deliver care to people as individuals.

Incidents and accidents were recorded and checked by the registered manager to see what steps could be taken to prevent these happening again. The risk in the service was assessed and the steps to be taken to minimise them were understood by staff.

Managers ensured that they had planned for foreseeable emergencies, so that should they happen people’s care needs would continue to be met. The premises and equipment in the service were well maintained.

Recruitment policies were in place. Safe recruitment practices had been followed before staff started working at the service. The registered manager ensured that they employed enough staff to meet people’s assessed needs. Staffing levels were kept under constant review as people’s needs changed.

Staff supported people to maintain their health by ensuring people had enough to eat and drink. All of the comments about the food were good.

If people complained they were listened to and the registered manager made changes or suggested solutions that people were happy with.

People felt that the service was well led. They told us that managers were approachable and listened to their views. The registered manager of the service and other senior managers provided good leadership. They ensured that they followed best practice for people living with dementia. This was reflected in the positive feedback given about the service by the people who experienced care from them.

4 March 2014

During an inspection looking at part of the service

The inspection visit was conducted by two inspectors over a period of five hours. We spoke with the director of care and operations, the manager, head of care, four carers and the maintenance person.

We found that the service provided a clean environment for people who used the service and there were effective systems in place to reduce the risk and spread of infection.

There were appropriate arrangements in place to manage medicines safely and effectively.

We saw that the premises were designed to provide care in an environment that is suitable for its purpose and adequately maintained.

We saw that records were accurate and appropriate for the management of the service.

We found that people were not always protected from the risks of unsafe or inappropriate care and treatment because accurate and appropriate records relating to care received were not always maintained.

31 July 2013

During a routine inspection

During this inspection we looked around the home and spoke with people who used the service and staff. We reviewed records used by the service and spoke with healthcare professionals.

We found that people felt well cared for and happy at the home. Guidance from healthcare professionals was taken into consideration when care was planned.

We found that the home did not have appropriate processes in place for managing the cleanliness of the service and checks were not always carried out to ensure that communal areas were cleaned regularly.

We looked at how medication was managed by the service and found that there were inappropriate processes for managing topical creams that were prescribed to people who used the service. We also found that other medication errors had occurred which had not been identified by the service.

We looked around the environment and found that there were some areas of the environment which were in need of repair.

We saw that the manager had implemented some audits to monitor the quality of the service. People were able to give their opinions about the service and staff felt able to raise issues or make suggestions about how the service was run.

We looked at records held by the service. We found that they were not always kept up to date and accurate.

19 February 2013

During a routine inspection

During our inspection we spoke to people who used the service and their relatives. We also used observation tools to observe interactions between people and staff. We saw that there were some positive interactions. However staff did not always engage with people living in the home when they needed staff attention.

Staff were trained in protecting people from abuse. Staff were knowledgeable about what to do if they suspected abuse and knew how to contact other agencies if they needed to.

We looked at how medications were stored, dispensed and recorded. We saw that there were appropriate processes in place for ensuring that medication was administered safely however it was not always recorded accurately.

We saw that there was a complaints procedure available in a communal area of the home. Relative's of people we spoke with told us they were aware of the procedure but had never had a reason to make a complaint.

We looked at care records for people. We saw that some care records were not accurate and did not reflect all of people's needs.

27 September 2011

During a routine inspection

Several of the people who used this service were able to tell us what they thought about the home. They said that they were very happy in the home, that they enjoyed their meals and that they had plenty to eat. They said the staff were kind and helpful. One person said. 'They (the staff) are lovely; they look after us very well'. Another said, 'It's lovely here, I really enjoy the garden ' they keep it so nicely'.