Archived: Alternative House Care Home Blackburn

Ratings

• Overall

  Requires improvement

• Safe

  Requires improvement

• Effective

  Good

• Caring

  Good

• Responsive

  Good

• Well-led

  Requires improvement

Our view of the service

Date of Assessment: 13 and 24 November 2024. Alternative House Care Home Blackburn, previously known as Feng Shui House (Blackburn) is a residential care home providing accommodation and personal care for to up to 16 people in one adapted building. At the time of our inspection there were 10 people using the service.

The assessment was carried out in response to concerns we had received. We received concerns in relation to the management of people’s medical needs and record keeping. As a result, we assessed all the quality statements from the safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led key questions and found some areas of good practice.

However, the provider was previously in breach of the legal regulation in relation to safe care and treatment, good governance and staffing. Improvements were not found at this assessment, and the provider remained in breach of these regulation s. Staff did not consistently manage and administer people’s medicines safely; audits did not pick up the concerns we noted, and the provider failed to provide records related to staff training.

The provider was previously in breach of the legal regulation in relation to dignity. Improvements were found at this assessment and the provider was no longer in breach of this regulation. This service remains in special measures. The purpose of special measures is to ensure that services providing inadequate care make significant improvements. Special measures provide a framework within which we user our enforcement powers in response to inadequate care and provide a timeframe within which providers must improve the quality of the care they provide. We have asked the provider for an action plan in response to some of the concerns found at this assessment.

In instances where CQC have decided to take civil or criminal enforcement action against a provider, we will publish this information on our website after any representations and/ or appeals have been concluded.

People's experience of this service

People told us they were happy and safe living at Alternative House Care Home Blackburn and were treated with kindness by the staff. Most relatives told us their family members received effective care, and they were consulted on the support delivered.

We observed people were happy in the company of staff and management. We observed staff knew how to offer effective support, when people became confused or distressed. Most relatives were happy with the support delivered. One relative told us, “It is more of a home than an institution. It is only small it is quite good.” However, a second family member expressed concerns related to the provider’s interactions with their family member, as well as expressing concerns that the provider had failed to maintain someone’s confidentiality.

While people expressed their satisfaction with their care our assessment of the service found some elements of care did not meet expected standards.