CQC report explained · a nursing home
What the CQC found at Blossom Hill Care Home
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors found people were protected from abuse and avoidable harm. They found enough staff, safe recruitment, safe medicines systems, regular safety checks and suitable infection control arrangements.
- Effective?
- Good
- This area was not inspected during this visit. Its previous rating was used to calculate the overall rating.
- Caring?
- Good
- This area was not inspected during this visit. Its previous rating was used to calculate the overall rating.
- Responsive?
- Good
- This area was not inspected during this visit. Its previous rating was used to calculate the overall rating.
- Well-led?
- Good
- Inspectors found a structured quality-checking system, regular feedback opportunities and an improvement plan. The home was being managed without a registered manager in post at the time.
What inspectors found, May 2023
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, well-managed care, but this was a focused inspection and did not assess every area.
Inspectors made an unannounced visit on 23 March 2023. They spoke with people living in the home, relatives and staff, and checked records about safety and management.
People and relatives said the home was safe and staff provided good care. Inspectors found enough staff, safe recruitment, suitable medicines checks, regular safety checks and effective infection control arrangements.
The home investigated safeguarding concerns, accidents and incidents. It also used checks, surveys and meetings to identify improvements. There was no registered manager in post at the time, although a manager was employed and intended to apply for registration.
The overall rating was Good. However, only Safe and Well-led were inspected during this visit. The ratings for Effective, Caring and Responsive were carried forward from the previous inspection in 2018.
People felt safe
People and relatives said the home was safe. Staff understood how to report concerns and felt able to raise them.
“People and relatives confirmed the home was safe.” from the report
Enough staff
Inspectors found staffing levels met people's needs and people said staff responded promptly when help was needed.
“There were enough staff to meet people's needs.” from the report
Safe medicines
People received their medicines on time, and the manager checked that staff followed the correct procedures.
“Records showed people received their medicines on time.” from the report
Quality checks
Senior staff carried out regular checks and used the results to identify improvements. The home also kept an improvement plan.
“The provider had a structured approach to quality assurance.” from the report
People's views were heard
People, relatives and staff could give feedback through surveys and meetings. The report says identified concerns were addressed.
“There were opportunities for people, relatives and staff to share their views about the home.” from the report
No registered manager in post
minorThere was no registered manager at the time of the inspection. A manager was employed and intended to apply for registration, so families may want to check the current position.
“At the time of our inspection there was not a registered manager in post.” from the report
- 01What is the current position on the manager's application to become registered?
- 02How do you check that staffing levels remain enough when people's needs change?
- 03How are medicines checks carried out, and what happens if a problem is found?
- 04What improvements have been made through the home's current improvement plan?
- 05How do you check the areas not assessed in this focused inspection, including care that is effective, caring and responsive?
This was a focused inspection of Safe and Well-led only; the ratings for Effective, Caring and Responsive were carried forward from the previous inspection in 2018. This explanation was written from the published report of 16 May 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.
Every inspection of Blossom Hill Care Home
3 rated inspections over 4 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- May 2023Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- March 2021Goodstayed GoodSafe: Inspected but not rated
- November 2018GoodSafe: GoodWell-led: Good
- March 2022
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 3 March 2022.
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.
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46 live-in carers within about an hour of Sunderland
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 £950 to £1,210 a week. 42 can care for a couple. 10 years' experience on average.
“Petty introduced herself to Mum every time she was caring for her and responded very quickly to Mum if she was distressed in the night.”
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.