We carried out a review of the data available to us about Blamster's Link on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about Blamster's Link, you can give feedback on this service.
About the service
Blamster's Link is a residential care home providing accommodation with personal care for up to 5 people with a learning disability or autistic people. At the time of this inspection there were 5 people using the service.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
The service was able to demonstrate how they were meeting the underpinning principles of Right support, right care, right culture.
Right Support:
Blamster’s Link is in a rural position and fits in the local residential area. There was nothing outside to show it was a care home. The building was a similar size to other properties with a large garden, which people had access to. Internally the premises were very spacious and well designed for the people living there.
The service had an established staff team who have known and worked with the current people for a long time. Staff showed a genuine interest in people’s well-being and quality of life. They were kind, caring and nurturing and as a result we saw people were at ease, happy, engaged and stimulated.
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 managed risks to minimise restrictions, focussing on what people could do for themselves. Staff worked well with the providers positive behaviour support (PBS) team to ensure people received the right level of support to manage signs of distress and or frustration. Staff were aware of subtle changes in people’s behaviours and took action to diffuse incidents quickly.
Systems were followed by staff to ensure medicines were managed safely. People were supported to access healthcare services to promote their wellbeing and help them to live healthy lives. People received support to eat and drink enough to maintain a balanced diet and were involved in choosing their food, shopping and planning their meals.
Right Care:
People’s care plans were personalised, covering all aspects of their needs and aspirations, including their physical and mental health needs. Staff delivered care in line with information in people's care plans and recognised models of care for people with a learning disability or autistic people. This ensured people were receiving care tailored to them which promoted a good quality of life.
Staff understood people’s individual communication styles and we saw they had developed a good rapport with them. People were supported to develop and maintain relationships, follow interests and take part in activities that were socially and culturally relevant to them.
People were kept safe from avoidable harm because staff knew them well and understood how to protect them from abuse. Staff had training on how to recognise and report abuse and they knew how to apply it. The manager worked well with other agencies to safeguard people. Investigations into incidents had been used as an opportunity to learn lessons, change practice and drive improvement.
The service had enough staff, including for one-to-one support for people to keep them safe and take part in activities, when they wanted. The numbers and skills of staff matched the needs of people using the service. Staff recruitment, induction and training processes promoted safety, including those for agency staff. People were supported by staff who had received a wide range of relevant and good quality training to meet their needs.
The service had effective infection, prevention and control measures to keep people safe, including good arrangements for keeping the premises clean and hygienic.
Right Culture:
The manager had been in post for six months and had worked hard to instil a culture of care where staff felt truly valued. There was a transparent, open and honest culture between people, those important to them, staff and managers. The attitudes and behaviours of the manager and staff ensured people using the service lead inclusive and empowered lives. Staff understood their role in making sure that people were always put first. They provided person centred care and sought to protect and promote people’s rights.
The service had effective governance arrangements in place to assess the quality and safety of the service. These were used to identify and drive improvement. Concerns and complaints were taken seriously, investigated and the outcomes used to improve the service. Systems were in place to apologise to people, and those important to them, when things went wrong.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
This service was registered with us on 23 July 2020 and this is the first inspection. The service was previously registered under TLC Care Homes Limited. The last rating for the service under the previous provider was rated Good published on 23 October 2018.
Why we inspected
We undertook this inspection to assess that the service was applying the principles of Right support, right care, right culture.
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.