This unannounced inspection took place on 10 May 2018. Bablake House is a care home registered to provide personal care and accommodation for a maximum of 45 people, including people living with dementia. The home is located on the outskirts of Coventry and the accommodation is set out over two floors. There were 37 people living at the home at the time of our visit. This included eight people, on a short term basis who had been discharged from hospital for a period of assessment and re-enablement known as ‘discharge to assess’.
The principle behind ‘discharge to assess’ is that people who no longer require care in hospital but are not yet able to return home, can be supported in a more appropriate setting such as a care home for a period of assessment and re-enablement before returning home.
People in care homes receive accommodation and personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.
At our last comprehensive inspection in April 2017 we rated the service as ‘Requires Improvement’. This was because the service was not as responsive to people’s needs as it should have been and was not consistently well led. For example, people did not always receive personalised care, staff were not always responsive to people’s needs in a timely way and there was not enough for people to do during the day. Quality monitoring systems were not consistently robust and we had not been notified of all incidents we should have been told about. At this inspection we found improvements had been made and have rated the service as ‘good’.
The service had a registered manager. This is a requirement of the provider's registration. 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.
The home provided safe care for people who lived at Bablake House. Staff understood what might constitute abuse and the action to take if they had any concerns. There were enough staff available to meet people’s needs and staff were deployed effectively within the home. Staff understood risks related with people’s care and knew how to manage risks to minimise harm. The suitability of staff was checked during recruitment procedures to make sure they were safe to work at the home. People’s medicines were managed, stored and administered safely.
Staff had completed training in infection control and wore gloves and aprons when supporting people and carrying out their work to help prevent the spread of infection. The home was clean and tidy, there was building work taking place but this did not impact on people’s communal space.
People had an assessment completed before moving to the home to make sure staff could meet their care and support needs. Staff received training and had the knowledge and skills they needed to meet people’s needs effectively. The registered manager and care staff understood the principles of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) and how to put these into practice. Capacity assessments were completed and where required Deprivation of Liberties authorisations to keep people safe were in place. People’s nutritional and healthcare needs were assessed and kept under review.
People were positive about the food provided and received diets to support their health conditions. People had sufficient to eat and drink during the day.
Some people at Bablake House were living with dementia, during our inspection visit we saw they looked contented and settled. People said staff were helpful and understanding, and we saw friendly and caring interactions between staff and the people they cared for. Staff maintained people’s privacy, and treated people with dignity and respect.
The managers and staff had a good understanding of people’s individual needs and preferences. People had a personalised care plans for staff to follow and staff were kept up to date about any changes in people’s care.
The atmosphere in the home was friendly and homely, and care and support was provided in a person centred way. There were things for people to do during the day to keep them stimulated and occupied and visitors were welcome at the home. People knew how to complain if they needed to and complaints received had been responded to in a timely manner.
Since out last inspection the provider had increased the management of the home and employed a deputy manager. The registered manager told us this had improved the service people received as the responsibility of running the home was now shared. Care staff who worked permanently in the home told us there had been improvements since the changes in the management team. For example, they had more time to spend with people as staff were less focused on completing tasks. Staff felt supported by the registered manager and deputy manager, and were happy working at the home. The provider and management team checked the quality of the service people received and implemented improvements.