Blythgate Manor

On this page

• 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 inspection of this 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.

Staff at the service made sure people’s care and treatment was effective by assessing and reviewing their health, care, wellbeing and communication needs with them. Staff said there were effective systems in place to assess and monitor people’s needs. This included handover meetings between incoming and outgoing staff on shift and staff meetings. A staff member commented, “Communication around dietary needs are good.” Another staff member told us, “There is a handover between shifts, night to day and day to night, by the registered nurse. They will then handover to care staff.”

Staff planned and delivered people’s care and treatment with them, including what was important and mattered to them. They did this in line with legislation and current evidence-based good practice and standards. Staff ensured people’s health needs were monitored and they received a nutritious diet, which, when needed, followed dietitian’s guidance. The catering staff understood people’s needs and how to promote a healthy diet. Staff closely monitored people’s health and made sure they ate and drank well and were not showing signs of ill-health. A professional commented, “Staff make timely referrals to secondary care services, as necessary, and are responsive in identifying the needs of their residents.”

There was an extensive programme of refurbishment taking place around the home. We discussed the timescale for completion with the provider, which we were told was due for completion by March 2026. We also discussed when decoration was completed their plans to ensure the environment was appropriately designed to meet the needs of people who may live with dementia or a dementia related condition. The provider informed us they were aware of best practice for the design and plans were in place.

Staff at the service worked well across teams and services to support people to ensure they received timely, seamless and consistent care. They made timely referrals and worked very well with other agencies to ensure people's treatment needs were met. A professional commented, “Staff engage fully in reviews and are active contributors to our formulation and care-planning sessions, which are always well attended by a wide range of staff roles within the home.”

Staff always supported people to manage their health and wellbeing to fully maximise their independence, choice and control. Staff supported people to live healthier lives and where possible, reduce their future needs for care and support. Staff worked closely with other professionals and the local GP practice who ran weekly ward rounds in the service. A professional commented, “We have been able to build good relationships with the staff, as well as visiting at least once a week for the ward round, there is an improvement in communication with our care co-ordinator since the change in ownership of the home, enabling better patient care.” People and relatives told us they were supported to access health care.

Staff at the service monitored all people’s care and treatment to continuously improve it. They ensured that outcomes were positive and consistent, and that they fully met both clinical expectations and the expectations of people themselves. Care plans were detailed, personalised and provided guidance to ensure outcomes could be met ensuring people received safe, consistent and effective support. There was a system of regular evaluation of risk assessments and people's care plans. Reviews were carried out regularly with people to ensure people's support and outcomes were monitored and in line with their wishes. A staff member told us, “The digital care planning process is collaborative carried out in partnership with people and relatives and not just used as a working document for staff.”

Staff told people about their rights around consent and respected these when delivering person-centred care and treatment. Assessments were carried out, around people’s mental capacity and care records contained relevant information. Records captured all the relevant others involved in Best Interest decision making, where people did not have the mental capacity to give consent.