Background to this inspection
Updated
7 March 2019
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. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
Inspection team:
The inspection was undertaken by two inspectors and an expert by experience. An Expert by Experience is a person who has experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of service.
Service and service type:
Blatchington Manor is a care home providing accommodation and personal care for older people living with dementia or frailty. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.
At the time of the inspection the home did not have a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. The provider had ensured robust measures were in place to support the management of the home in their absence.
Notice of inspection:
This inspection was unannounced.
What we did:
Before the inspection:
• We used information, the provider sent us in the Provider Information Return (PIR). Providers are required to send us key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections
• We looked at information we held about the service including notifications they had made to us about important events.
• We also reviewed all other information sent to us from other stakeholders for example the local authority and members of the public.
During the inspection:
• We spoke with 16 people who lived at the home, the head of care, two directors, a healthcare professional, six members of staff and three relatives.
• We reviewed a range of records about people’s care and how the service was managed. These included the individual care records for six people. Medicine administration records for five people, eight staff records, quality assurance audits, incident reports and records relating to the management of the service.
Updated
7 March 2019
About the service:
Blatchington Manor is a residential ‘care home’. The home is registered for up to 43 older people living with dementia or frailty. There were 23 people living at the home at the time of inspection. People had access to a communal lounge, a dining area, activity rooms and landscaped gardens. People had their own bedrooms with en-suites.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
People’s experience of using this service:
¿People were safe from the risk of abuse and other identified risks relating to them.
¿The home was clean and people were protected from infection risks.
¿Staffing levels met people’s needs and staff were suitable to work with people.
¿People received effective care from skilled, supported and knowledgeable staff.
¿People were supported to maintain a balanced diet. One person told us, “The food was very good and there is a good choice.”
¿People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.
¿People received kind and compassionate care. A relative told us, “Staff are amazing, take time to get to know people and they seem to really care from cleaning staff to directors.”
¿People’s privacy and dignity were respected and their views listened to.
¿People received person centred care that was specific to their needs.
¿The provider had implemented a range of activities to enhance people’s lives.
¿There was a complaints procedure in place which was accessible to people.
¿People were supported with compassionate end of life care.
¿People, staff, relatives and professionals spoke positively of the management of the home.
¿There were a range of audits in place with the aim of driving the quality of the home and most were effective in this.
¿People were supported to be engaged in the running of the home and their opinions were listened to.
Rating at last inspection:
This was the first inspection of Blatchington Manor.
Why we inspected:
This was a planned inspection based on the date the provider registered with the Care Quality Commission to provide a regulated activity at this location.
Follow up:
We will continue to monitor the intelligence we receive about this home and plan to inspect in line with our re-inspection schedule for those services rated Good.