Blakesley

Updated 31 October 2023

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. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

As part of this inspection we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place. This was conducted so we can understand the preparedness of the service in preventing or managing an infection outbreak, and to identify good practice we can share with other services.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Service and service type

Blakesley is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and/or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. Blakesley is a care home without nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

Inspection activity started on 31 July 2023 and ended on 31 August 2023. We visited the service on 31 July, 1 and 2 August 2023.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection, such as notifications from the provider and information from the local authority and the public. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with one person about their experience of the care provided. We also observed the body language of other people living at the service during their interactions with care staff to further help us understand their experience of the care they received. We also spoke with 2 people's relatives.

We spoke with 8 members of staff including the registered manager, service manager, chief executive, compliance & training manager, a volunteer and 3 support workers.

We reviewed a range of records. This included 3 people's care records and medication records. We used the Quality of Life Tool which is designed to support the corroboration of all sources of evidence gathered during inspection. We looked at 3 staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

Updated 31 October 2023

About the service

Blakesley is a residential care home providing personal care to up to 6 people in one adapted building. The service provides support to people with a learning disability. At the time of our inspection there were 7 people using the service, including 2 people who stay part of the week at the service and part with their families. Blakesley is a family sized house in a residential area, similar in appearance to the other houses in the street.

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

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ is the guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements about services supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people and providers must have regard to it.

Right Support: People received exceptionally personalised care and support from dedicated staff who had formed positive, mutually respectful close relationships with them . With the right support people flourished in all aspects of their lives, growing in self-confidence, developing skills and being enabled to maximise opportunities that would not otherwise be available to them. People were supported to achieve their aspirations and goals. People were supported holistically and enabled to access specialist health and social care support when this was needed. People played an active role in maintaining and improving their health and wellbeing.

People were supported to have maximum autonomy, 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.

Right Care: People living at Blakesley received highly individualised care and support which promoted their dignity, privacy and human rights. People were supported to develop skills and independence at their individual level, varying from growing in confidence with completing their own personal care to learning household tasks. People received care and support from exceptionally kind and compassionate staff. Staff were extremely vigilant, responded to people's individual needs and focused upon supporting them to achieve a full and enriching quality of life.

Right Culture: There was an embedded culture of people being at the heart of the service. The ethos, values, attitudes and behaviours of leaders and care staff ensured people using services lead confident, inclusive and empowered lives. People received support based on transparency, respect and inclusivity. The registered manager and staff worked hard to instil a culture of care and good teamwork. Everyone valued and promoted people's individuality, protected their rights and enabled them to develop and flourish.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection and update

The last rating for this service was requires improvement (published 4 January 2021). The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve. At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations.

Why we inspected

We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the Safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.

The inspection was prompted in part due to concerns received about bathroom facilities. A decision was made for us to inspect and examine those risks. We found no evidence during this inspection that people were at risk of harm from this concern. Please see the safe and well-led sections of this full report. The overall rating for the service has changed from requires improvement to outstanding based on the findings of this inspection.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Blakesley 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.