Blenheim Care Home

Updated 21 August 2021

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 Care Act 2014.

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 two inspectors.

Service and service type

Blenheim Care Home is a ‘care home’. 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.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. 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 eight people who used the service and three relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with six members of staff including the registered manager and regional manager. We spoke with a visiting professional. We used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI). SOFI is a way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us.

We reviewed a range of records. This included seven people’s care records and multiple medication records. We looked at two 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.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at training data and quality assurance records.

Updated 21 August 2021

About the service

Blenheim Care Home is registered to provide accommodation with personal care for up to 57 older people in one adapted building, including care and support for those living with dementia. There were 17 people living at the service at the time of the inspection

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

The service was inspected in March 2020 and was found to have significant failings. The service was placed in special measures. A new manager was appointed and formerly registered with CQC on 17 September 2020. A focused inspection was carried out in September 2020 to check the provider had followed their action plan and to confirm they now met legal requirements. At the inspection in September 2020 whilst some improvements were noted we still identified breaches in relation to safe care and treatment, responding to complaints and ineffective governance arrangements. At this inspection further improvements were seen

Staff knew how to keep people safe and received training for safeguarding and how to reduce the risks of harm from occurring. However, whilst a concern had been investigated by the registered manager it had not been referred appropriately to the local authority. People were supported with their medicines in a safe way. Risks to people had been adequately identified and measures put in place with guidance for staff to mitigate the risk of harm. Infection control procedures were followed by staff. People were able to have visitors, following the latest government guidance.

The service knew how to support people to access health services when required. It was noted advice from a speech and language therapists was not recorded for two people identified with specialist diets. The registered manager and staff had a good knowledge of people’s health conditions and needs and what support would be needed to manage these effectively.

People were supported to have maximum 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.

Staff told us training and supervision was arranged to ensure staff

had the skills to carry out their role. Areas of the environment where people were living were found to have improved. The provider had further planned improvements for other areas of the service that would be undertaken before being used by people for care and support.

People and relatives told us staff were caring and they had choices about their care and support.

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 inadequate (published 07 May 2020) and there were multiple breaches of regulation. 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. A focused inspection was carried out in September 2020 some improvements were found but there were still breaches of the regulations for safe care and treatment, receiving and acting on complaints and governance.

This service has been in Special Measures since 20 November 2018. During this inspection the provider demonstrated that improvements have been made. The service is no longer rated as inadequate overall or in any of the key questions. Therefore, this service is no longer in Special Measures.

Why we inspected

This inspection was carried out to follow up on action we told the provider to take at the last inspection.

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.

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.

We undertook this focused inspection to check they had followed their action plan and to confirm they now met legal requirements. This report only covers our findings in relation to the Key Questions of safe, effective, caring and well led which contain those requirements.

The ratings from the previous comprehensive inspection for those key questions not looked at on this occasion were used in calculating the overall rating at this inspection. The overall rating for the service has changed from inadequate to requires improvement. This is based on the findings at this inspection.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Blenheim Care Home on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

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.