CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Blakeney House
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors found enough staff, appropriate recruitment checks, person-centred risk assessments and safe medicines arrangements. Staff were trained in safeguarding and infection control.
- Effective?
- Good
- People's needs were assessed before they moved in. Staff received induction, training and supervision, and people were supported with food, healthcare and legal decisions about their care.
- Caring?
- Good
- Staff treated people with dignity and respect and supported them to make choices. Key workers helped people express their views and review their care.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Support was personalised to people's preferences and communication needs. People were supported to attend clubs, go swimming, take holidays and maintain family relationships.
- Well-led?
- Good
- Inspectors found a positive, inclusive culture and staff who understood their roles. The registered manager and provider used audits, feedback and staff development to monitor and improve the service.
What inspectors found, September 2023
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with all five areas rated Good.
Inspectors visited the home without warning on 29 August 2023. They spoke with five people, three relatives and five staff. They observed care and checked care plans, medicines records, recruitment files and management records.
The home supported 10 people with learning disabilities and autistic people. Inspectors found enough staff, safe medicines systems, suitable risk assessments and infection control arrangements. People had choices about food, daily routines and activities, and were supported to use local services and keep in touch with relatives.
Care was described as person-centred and respectful. Staff knew people's needs and communication preferences. The home had systems for reviewing care, handling concerns and learning from incidents.
The overall rating was Good. Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led were all rated Good. These ratings were unchanged from the previous inspection, published in January 2018.
Personalised support
Care was based on people's individual needs, preferences and wishes. Staff reviewed support and adapted it when circumstances changed.
“Care was person centred and focused on supporting people to live their best life.” from the report
Safety and staffing
Inspectors found enough staff and a consistent team who knew people well. Recruitment checks and safeguarding arrangements were in place.
“There were enough staff to meet people's needs.” from the report
Communication
The home used several ways to help people understand and express themselves. Staff knew people's preferred communication styles.
“Staff had a number of methods to help enhance communication with people this included, social stories, pictures, objects of reference, easy read formats and sign language.” from the report
Family involvement
Relatives told inspectors that communication was good and that they were involved in decisions about care. People were also supported to maintain family relationships.
“There is good communication, we are kept informed of any changes, or anything we need to know.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How would you assess and support my relative's specific needs before they move in?
- 02Which communication methods would you use for my relative, and how would you review whether they work?
- 03How would my relative choose meals, meal times and activities each day?
- 04How would you support my relative to attend health appointments and keep in touch with family and friends?
- 05How do you review care plans, medicines and risks, and how would you tell us about any changes?
This was an unannounced inspection that looked at the care home, the care provided and infection prevention and control, and rated all five CQC questions. This explanation was written from the published report of 26 September 2023 by an AI system and checked against the report text: every quoted line appears in the report. It is a guide to the report, not a substitute for it. Read the full report on cqc.org.uk.
What inspectors found, January 2018
Blakeney House was rated Good in all five areas; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with a few smaller issues to improve.
The inspection was unannounced and took place on 13 December 2017, with follow-up discussions on 8 January 2018. One inspector spoke with people living at the home, relatives, staff and managers. They reviewed care records, staff records, medicines, rotas, complaints and quality checks.
The home supported seven adults with learning disabilities, some of whom also had autism or mental health needs. Inspectors found suitable staffing, safe medicines arrangements, good training, appropriate healthcare support and care plans that reflected people's needs and preferences.
People were treated with kindness, dignity and respect. They had choices about daily life, activities and visits. The home had systems to listen to people's views, respond to complaints and monitor the quality of care.
The overall rating was Good, and all five areas were rated Good. This means inspectors found the service met the regulations and provided a good standard of care at the time of the inspection. The home had also been rated Good at the previous inspection in January 2016.
Safe staffing
The home had enough staff to meet people's assessed needs, including support for activities. Relatives said staff were available when needed.
“Relatives told us there were always sufficient numbers of staff available to provide the support required to meet their family member's care and support needs.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
People were treated with dignity and staff understood how each person communicated and preferred to be supported.
“Our observations showed that people received person-centred care and they had a good rapport and relationship with the staff who supported them” from the report
Personalised support
Care plans described people's strengths, preferences and support needs. People could choose activities in the home and local community.
“Care plans covered all aspects of a person's individual care and support needs, focussing on the care and support to be delivered by staff” from the report
Good management checks
The management team used audits, internal reviews, surveys and meetings to check quality and identify improvements.
“Suitable arrangements were in place to assess and monitor the quality of the service provided.” from the report
Pharmacist advice for covert medicines
needs fixingWhere medicines were given without a person's knowledge or consent, the GP had been consulted but a pharmacist had not yet been consulted. The manager said this would be done as a priority.
“Where people were administered their medication covertly, this had been discussed with their GP but not a pharmacist.” from the report
Appraisal objectives
minorStaff had received annual appraisals, but objectives for the following year had not always been set. The manager said this would be completed in future.
“Staff had received an annual appraisal of their overall performance for the period 2016 to 2017, however objectives for the next 12 months had not always been identified and set.” from the report
- 01How has advice from a pharmacist been obtained for each person who receives covert medicines?
- 02How do you check that staff appraisals include clear objectives for the next 12 months?
- 03How are people's risk assessments and care plans updated when their needs or behaviour change?
- 04How are people and their families involved in choosing activities and reviewing care plans?
- 05What actions were taken after the safeguarding concerns and medication errors mentioned in the report?
This was an unannounced inspection covering the overall quality of the home and all five key questions, with staff discussions completed on 8 January 2018. This explanation was written from the published report of 27 January 2018 by an AI system and checked against the report text: every quoted line appears in the report. It is a guide to the report, not a substitute for it. Read the full report on cqc.org.uk.
Every inspection of Blakeney House
3 rated inspections over 8 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- September 2023Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- January 2018Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- March 2016GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- January 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- February 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- October 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- January 2011
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 21 January 2011.
Ratings and report dates from the Care Quality Commission, Open Government Licence v3.0. A home can also be visited without a new rating being published, so the timeline shows published inspections.
Weigh the report against the rest
Fees, photos and reviews from families
How to read CQC ratings and reports
What to check when you visit
51 live-in carers within about an hour of Southend-on-Sea
These are self-employed carers on PrimeCarers, the introductory agency that runs this directory. Each has a profile with their own rates and reviews from families, and you choose who to talk to.
Most charge £960 to £1,200 a week. 44 can care for a couple. 12 years' experience on average.
“She brought fun and stimulation into mums life.”
“She was always cheerful and looking for ways to stimulate my mother. She became her "friend" and provided best care always.”
Every carer has had an enhanced DBS check in the last 18 months, ID and right-to-work checks and an online interview. Their skills and training are for you to check with them. Carers set their own rates, and who is free changes week to week.