Jah-Jireh Charity Homes Blackpool

Jah-Jireh Charity Homes Blackpool is a residential care home where Jehovah's Witnesses care for other Jehovah's Witnesses, providing spiritual and physical care and accommodation for up to 36 people. There are 30 single rooms and three double rooms. At the time of the inspection 29 people lived at the home.

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

People were kept safe by enough staff who knew them well and who had the right skills, experience, and knowledge to look after them. People were protected from harm and abuse and treated with respect. There were systems for managing and administering people's medication which were reviewed regularly. The home was clean and hygienic, and staff were seen to wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE). Staff were employed following a safe and robust recruitment process. There were no restrictions on when people could welcome visitors into their home.

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.

The registered manager had various methods to assess, monitor and improve the quality of the service. People and staff told us there was a very positive culture at Jah-Jireh Charity Homes Blackpool. The management team positively engaged in the inspection process and the registered manager clearly understood their regulatory responsibilities. The provider and management team had been responsive in implementing positive change and working with health and social care professionals to improve people’s quality of life.

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

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was good (published 16 March 2018).

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

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.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.

We found the following examples of good practice.

• The provider followed guidance and care practices to reduce infection risks and manage any infection outbreak effectively. We saw policies and procedures and Information about COVID-19 were in place and staff were trained on infection prevention and control.

• There was sufficient personal protective equipment (PPE) available throughout the home and staff consistently wore this safely. Senior staff regularly checked staff were using PPE correctly.

• Staff carried out a frequent and thorough cleaning regime to reduce cross infection during the COVID-19 pandemic. Senior staff monitored this frequently.

• Any person admitted to the home was expected to follow Public Health England guidance. Only essential visitors and those for people at the end of life could visit in line with national guidance.

• People kept in touch with families by phone, emails and social media. Relatives were praising of the staff, the care they provided, cleanliness of the home and infection control practices.

• Senior staff completed COVID-19 risk assessments and care plans on and with each person supported to reduce risks during the pandemic. They also completed risk assessments for staff members. These assessments showed how individuals could be vulnerable to COVID-19 and what action was needed to keep them safe.

Further information is in the findings below.

At our last inspection we rated the service overall Good. The safe domain required improvement in relation to recruitment and medicines. At this inspection we found recruitment had improved and good recruitment practices were in place. Medicines were managed safely. The service improved to good in safe domain and remained good in the other four domains. We found the evidence continued to support the rating of overall good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and on-going monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

Jah-Jireh Charity Homes Blackpool is a care home where Jehovah's Witnesses care for other Jehovah's Witnesses. The staff team and environment caters for people’s spiritual needs as well as for their health and social needs, Jah-Jireh provides accommodation for up to 36 people who require personal care, some of whom are living with dementia. There are 30 single rooms and three double rooms. The building has two floors with lift access to the first floor. Car parking is available at the front of the home on a small private forecourt. There are gardens at the rear for the use of residents.

At the time of our inspection visit 32 people lived at Jah-Jireh.

There was a registered manager in place. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run

People we spoke with told us they felt safe and well cared for at Jah-Jireh. People told us they were happy and supported by staff who cared for them and treated them well. One person told us, “No problem with the staff they are so hardworking and kind.”

There were procedures in place to minimise the risk of unsafe care or abuse and staff understood their responsibilities to report unsafe care or abusive practices. They knew how to do this if they saw or suspected abuse. Staff had received training on safeguarding vulnerable people.

Care plans were personalised, involved people and where appropriate, their relatives and were informative about the care people received. Risk assessments had been developed to minimise the potential risk of harm to people during the delivery of their care. These had been kept under review and were relevant to the care provided.

Medicines were managed safely. They had been ordered appropriately, checked on receipt into the home, given as prescribed and stored and disposed of correctly. People received their medicines when needed and appropriate records had been completed.

Staff had been recruited safely, appropriately trained and supported. They had skills, knowledge and experience required to support people with their care and social needs. There were sufficient staffing levels in place to provide the support people required. Although there had been some staffing difficulties prior to the inspection, staff had pulled together to make sure there were enough staff on each shift. We saw staff showed concern for people’s wellbeing and responded quickly when people called for assistance.

We looked around the building and found it had been maintained, was clean and hygienic and a safe place for people to live. The design of the building and facilities provided were appropriate for the care and support provided and we found equipment had been serviced and maintained as required. There were safe infection control procedures and practices and staff had received infection control training. Staff wore protective clothing such as gloves and aprons when needed. This reduced the risk of cross infection.

Most people told us they liked the quality and variety of meals on offer. We saw people received adequate nutrition and hydration. One person told us, “I enjoy having someone to cook for me. They are all good cooks.”

We saw people who lived at the home had access to healthcare professionals. They told us their healthcare needs were met promptly. Staff provided care in a way that respected peoples’ dignity, privacy and independence. People told us staff treated them as individuals and delivered personalised care.

People had been 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 who lived at the home and their visitors told us they enjoyed a variety of spiritual and leisure activities in the home and in the local community. These gave people the opportunity to pray and socialise together.

People were told they ways they could complain and were given information about how to complain. People we spoke with told us they felt able to complain and express any concerns. Where people raised a complaint appropriate action was taken. People also had information about support from an external advocate should this be required.

The registered manager assessed and monitored the quality of the service. These included regular audits and ways to seek people’s views about the service provided. People who lived in the home and their relatives told us the management team staff were approachable and willing to listen.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

'They (the staff) know me. We always have a laugh!' and "I am very satisfied with everything here. I have no concerns at all."

A visiting professional told us, "I come here on a regular basis to undertake staff training, they always make me feel welcome and involved. Staff are always polite, and really know how to get people involved in their own care and support."

People living at the home told us that they had been involved in the care planning process and in the review of the care provided. People said that they enjoyed the atmosphere within the home, and the spiritual aspect of the home, and that they felt well cared for. The staff said that the training was in depth and very useful to their work. Information held within the training records showed that staff received a comprehensive training programme geared towards the work they undertook. One person living at the home said that they thought the staff were very knowledgeable and always willing to learn. One resident commented, 'It always seems nice and clean to me. They keep things lovely for us.' We carried out a tour of communal areas and some residents' bedrooms. We found all areas to be clean and comfortable.