29 October 2019
During a routine inspection
Barn Close is a residential care home providing personal care to up to 39 people. At the time of the inspection there were 35 people living there.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People were overwhelmingly positive about the excellent service they received. They described it as “just lovely” and “the best in Cumbria”. The service succeeded in helping people to continue to lead interesting, fulfilled lifestyles. Staff sought out people’s own aspirations and helped people to achieve them.
Relatives and staff told us this service was exceptional and contrasted dramatically from any other provision they had experienced or worked in. Care professionals said the service was “amazing” and “a joy to visit”. Staff had an excellent working relationship with other care agencies for the benefit of the people who lived there.
The service had developed significant new initiatives to support and improve people’s well-being. These included a new spa facility solely for the people who lived there. People said the treatments had already had a therapeutic impact on their well-being.
People and relatives praised the staff for their care and kindness. Staff made sure people were treated with dignity and respect, and their privacy was protected. People were offered choices and their decisions were respected.
The service was safe. Risks to people’s health and safety were assessed and mitigated. Medicines were managed in a safe way. There were enough staff to make sure people received care and support whenever they needed it.
People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff assisted them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service upheld this practice.
People said the service was well-run. They were asked for their views at meetings and in surveys. They had information about how to raise issues and were happy with the way these were dealt with. Staff said the management team were open, approachable and supportive.
The provider and registered manager were committed to continuous improvement of 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
This was the first rating since the provider’s new registration on 2 November 2018.
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the new registration date.
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.