CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Blossom View Respite Home
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- People were protected from abuse and avoidable harm. Inspectors found safe recruitment, enough staff, safe medicines practices, suitable infection control and systems for learning from incidents.
- Effective?
- Good
- This area was not inspected during this focused visit. Its previous rating was used in calculating the overall rating.
- Caring?
- Good
- This area was not inspected during this focused visit. The report's overall findings describe kind, compassionate and personalised care.
- Responsive?
- Good
- This area was not inspected during this focused visit. The report says staff understood people's individual needs and communication methods.
- Well-led?
- Good
- Managers had quality checks, clear policies and regular handovers. Staff worked as a team, felt supported and felt able to raise concerns.
What inspectors found, July 2023
Blossom View Respite Home is rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind care and good leadership, but the communal layout did not meet all people's needs.
This was a focused inspection. Two inspectors and an Expert by Experience visited on 4 and 10 July 2023. They spoke with two people using the home, three relatives and nine staff. They reviewed care plans, risk assessments, medicines records, training records and audits.
Inspectors found people were safe, received medicines as prescribed and were supported by enough staff. Staff understood people's communication methods, protected their privacy and dignity, and provided kind and personalised care. Managers had checks in place and staff said they felt supported.
The main shortfall was the building. The large shared lounge and dining area did not suit the different and complex needs of everyone. The overall rating remained Good. Safe and well-led were inspected and rated Good, while the other ratings carried over from the previous inspection.
Kind and respectful care
Staff provided compassionate care and protected people's privacy and dignity. They built strong, respectful relationships with people and those close to them.
“People received kind and compassionate care. Staff protected and respected people's privacy and dignity.” from the report
Communication support
Staff understood different ways people communicated, including body language, sounds, signs, pictures and symbols.
“People who had individual ways of communicating, using body language, sounds, Makaton (a form of sign language), pictures and symbols could interact comfortably with staff” from the report
Safety and medicines
Inspectors found safe recruitment, enough staff and medicines given safely and as prescribed. Staff were trained and checked for competence.
“People received their medicines safely and as prescribed.” from the report
Open management
Managers used audits and acted when things went wrong. Staff felt supported and able to speak up.
“Staff felt able to raise concerns with managers without fear of what might happen as a result.” from the report
Communal areas
needs fixingThe large lounge and dining area did not suit the varied and complex needs of all the people using the home. Managers were reviewing how communal areas could be used and improved.
“There was a large communal lounge and dining area that was not conducive to meeting the varied and complex needs of some of the people who used the service.” from the report
- 01What changes are being made to the large communal lounge and dining area?
- 02How will you support my relative if they need quiet or time away from the main communal area?
- 03Which bedrooms are away from the main hub of the home, and are they available for someone who prefers quiet?
- 04How do staff learn and record my relative's individual communication methods?
- 05How will you tell families about progress in reviewing the environment?
This was a focused inspection of Safe and Well-led only; the other ratings carried over from the previous inspection in 2017. This explanation was written from the published report of 21 July 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, November 2017
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with some financial safeguards to improve.
This was the home's first inspection since it registered with the CQC in December 2016. Inspectors visited without warning on 17 October 2017. They spoke with two people, six relatives and all five staff working that day. They also reviewed care plans, medicine records, staff files and other records.
Inspectors rated all five areas Good: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. They found enough staff, safe medicine systems, suitable training, regular care plan reviews and activities that supported people's independence. People were treated with kindness, dignity and respect, and relatives spoke positively about the care.
The report also noted that some financial safeguards could be strengthened. These included numbering receipts, having two people sign financial records and checking records more often. The deputy manager said these changes would be considered immediately. No regulations were reported as breached and no enforcement action or special measures were mentioned.
Kind and respectful staff
Inspectors saw warm, friendly relationships. Staff offered choices and supported people in a calm and respectful way.
“We saw in all cases people were cared for by staff that were kind, patient and respectful.” from the report
Personalised support
Staff knew people's likes, dislikes and ways of communicating. Support plans included people's preferences and involved relatives in decisions.
“The plans showed that people and their relatives had been involved in developing their support plans so their wishes and opinions could be respected.” from the report
Activities and independence
People took part in activities inside and outside the home, including hydrotherapy, sensory room visits, shopping and trips.
“We saw people participated in such things as, hydrotherapy, sensory room visits and trampoline.” from the report
Good staff support and oversight
Staff received training, supervision and appraisals. Managers carried out audits and spot checks to monitor care and safety.
“Records showed the registered manager and registered provider undertook regular audits to make sure full procedures were followed.” from the report
Financial record safeguards
minorInspectors said money records could be made safer by numbering receipts, using two signatures and carrying out audits more often. The deputy manager said these measures would be considered immediately.
“We did talk with the deputy manager about improving some financial safeguards for people.” from the report
- 01What changes were made to the financial records after inspectors recommended numbered receipts, two signatures and more frequent audits?
- 02How do you plan care for people staying temporarily for respite compared with people living at the home permanently?
- 03How often will support plans be reviewed, and how will my relative or our family be involved?
- 04Which staff have training for my relative's specific needs, such as moving and handling, epilepsy or PEG feeding?
- 05Have regular meetings for people living at the home and their relatives now been introduced?
This was an unannounced first comprehensive inspection covering all five CQC questions, with observations, conversations and checks of care, medicine, staff and service records. This explanation was written from the published report of 14 November 2017 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 View Respite Home
2 rated inspections over 6 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- July 2023Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- November 2017GoodSafe: GoodWell-led: Good
- December 2016
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 5 December 2016.
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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90 live-in carers within about an hour of Sheffield
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 £1,020 to £1,270 a week. 76 can care for a couple. 11 years' experience on average.
“Carla has been a god send with the implementation of bringing mum back home from respite care.”
“Beatrice was a talent dementia carer whose professionalism and dedication allowed mums wishes to remain in her own her come true.”
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.