We carried out a review of the data available to us about Hallmark Bucklesham Grange Luxury Care Home 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 Hallmark Bucklesham Grange Luxury Care Home, you can give feedback on this service.
Bucklesham Grange provides accommodation and nursing care for up to 57 people, some living with dementia. The home is purpose built and arranged over two floors and at the time of the inspection there were 52 people living in the home.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
We have made a recommendation regarding the staffing arrangements in the home. Staff were not adequately deployed during busy times and there were instances where people were left unattended in communal areas in the home. The senior management team confirmed they would undertake an immediate review of their staffing arrangements.
People’s medicines were administered as prescribed. The home was clean, and staff had received training around infection prevention and control. However, some feedback received described inconsistencies in staff practice in this area. Accidents and incidents were recorded and reviewed to mitigate further occurrence.
There had been several personnel changes and staff turn-over since the last inspection. This included the previously registered manager now working at another of the provider’s services. This had affected consistency in the home despite the provider’s interim management arrangements. Feedback received cited inconsistencies with communication, staffing arrangements and a lack of leadership and direction in the home. However, the majority of feedback we received was positive and complimentary about the new manager and the improvements they were making in the home.
At the time of the inspection the manager had been in post four months and we were encouraged by the actions they were taking to develop the home. Staff morale was good, staff enjoyed their job and felt supported by the manager. The provider’s nominated individual acknowledged the home had been through many changes but assured us they would fully support the new manager to address the inconsistencies we had found.
Risks relating to people’s individual care needs had been identified and planned for. Assessments and plans to mitigate environmental risks were also in place. Staff understood their responsibilities in relation to keeping people safe and had received training in safeguarding.
People were treated with kindness and compassion. People’s care records provided guidance to staff on how to meet their specific needs. People and the majority of their relatives described positive relationships with the staff and management team. Provisions were in place to ensure people received visits from relatives and maintained their interests. Complaints were responded to appropriately.
Staff knew people’s care needs well and offered reassurance to people in times of unease. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible. There was a welcoming atmosphere in the home.
Assessments of people’s needs were carried out prior to them moving into the home. There were safe recruitment practices in place for new staff. New staff attended an induction and completed training relevant to their role. Staff supported people to maintain a healthy nutritional intake. People had access to healthcare services and referrals were made when their needs changed.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
The rating at the last inspection was outstanding (published 13 September 2017).
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Bucklesham Grange on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.
At our last inspection 9 February 2015 we rated the service good. At this inspection we found that the service had continued to develop and improve and was outstanding in Caring and Well Led. People received exceptional care that was personalised to them, taking account of their individual needs and wishes. They were at the heart of the service and told us how compassionate and dedicated staff went the extra mile to ensure they were extremely satisfied with all aspects of their care.
A registered manager was in post at the time of our inspection. 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. They were supported by a general manager with a clinical governance background who had day to day oversight of the service working closely with the managers from the different areas of the service such as administration, lifestyle, maintenance and hospitality.
Bucklesham Grange was exceptionally well led. There was visible and effective leadership within the service. The service was effectively organised and well run with an open and transparent culture. The registered manager was supported by a dynamic management team that demonstrated a holistic approach and had clear oversight of how the service was meeting people’s physical, emotional and social needs. They were able to effectively demonstrate how their robust quality assurance systems had sustained continual development and improvement at the service. They were clear about their expectations relating to how the service should be provided and led by example. Morale in the service was extremely high, at all levels within the service. Staff were proud to work at Bucklesham Grange and were remarkably motivated and passionate about delivering high quality care.
Staff were extremely compassionate, attentive and caring in their interactions with people. Staff understood the importance of obtaining consent when providing care. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.
Ensuring people received care tailored to meet their needs which enhanced their quality of life was fundamental to the running of the service. An enabling and supportive culture focused on meeting the individual needs of people had been established and was reflected in people’s care records. Staff respected people’s privacy and dignity and promoted their independence. They demonstrated an enhanced understanding about people’s choices, views and preferences and acted on what they said.
The service provided outstanding end of life care. Effective systems and processes including working in partnership with the local hospice were in place to ensure people experienced a comfortable, dignified death in line with their wishes.
People and or their representatives, where appropriate, were actively involved in making decisions about their care arrangements. This led to people experiencing an excellent service which was distinctive to their individual needs
People were encouraged to maintain relationships that mattered to them such as family, community and other social links. They were supported to pursue their hobbies and to participate in activities of their choice. This protected people from the risks of social isolation and loneliness.
Staff were highly motivated, enjoyed their jobs and understood their roles and responsibilities. They were proud of where they worked, were extremely passionate and committed to delivering a high standard of care. They shared positive experiences about the way the service was managed, how they were supported and encouraged to professionally develop.
There were sufficient numbers of staff, who had been recruited safely, and who had the skills and knowledge to provide care to people in the way they preferred. Retention of staff was good and supported continuity of care.
There were robust procedures and processes to ensure the safety of the people who used the service. These included risk assessments which identified how the risks to people were minimised but also ensured their rights and choices were respected.
Staff had received safeguarding training and understood what actions to take to protect people from abuse. They were able to confidently describe the different types of abuse that may occur and how it should be reported.
Where people required assistance to take their medicines there were appropriate arrangements in place to provide this support safely.
People were encouraged and supported to attend appointments with health care professionals to maintain their health and well-being. Where people required assistance with their dietary needs there were systems in place to provide this support safely.
There was a complaints procedure in place and people knew how to voice their concerns if they were unhappy with the care they received. Feedback including comments, concerns and complaints were appropriately investigated and responded to and used to improve the quality of the service.
The management team demonstrated an open, reflective leadership style working in partnership with other stakeholders to drive continual improvement within the service and local community. Feedback from healthcare professionals cited collaborative and highly effective working relationships.
We inspected this service on the 13 November 2014 and this inspection was unannounced. Bucklesham Grange is a care home with nursing. It provides care for 56 older people who may be elderly and or have a physical disability. Some people are living with dementia. There were 54 people living in the service when we inspected.
There was a registered manager in post. 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.
People were positive about the care they received. They told us their care was personalised to them and met their needs and aspirations. The atmosphere in the service was warm and welcoming. People were proud to show visitors round the service they called home and said they felt part of an extended family.
People told us staff listened to them and acted on what they said. They told us they felt safe, were treated with kindness, compassion and respect by the staff. People were supported and encouraged to attend appointments with other healthcare professionals to maintain their health and well-being.
Staff knew how to recognise and respond to abuse correctly. People were protected from the risk of abuse because the provider had taken reasonable steps to identify the possibility of abuse and prevent abuse from happening. Any risks associated with people’s care needs were assessed and plans were in place to minimise the risk as far as possible to keep people safe. Appropriate arrangements were in place to provide people with their medication safely.
People were supported by sufficient numbers of staff with the knowledge and skills to meet their needs. Staff respected people’s privacy and dignity and interacted with people in a caring and respectful manner.
There was clear guidance for staff on how to meet people’s individual needs and aspirations, promote their independence and maintain their health and well-being. Where risks were identified to people’s health or well-being, action was taken to help minimise the risk as far as possible to keep people safe. Robust systems provided people with their medication in a safe manner.
People were supported by the managers and staff to make decisions about how they led their lives and wanted to be supported. They were able to voice their opinions and have their care needs provided for in the way they wanted. Where they lacked capacity, appropriate actions had been taken to ensure decisions were made in the person’s best interests.
People were supported to be able to eat and drink sufficient amounts to meet their needs. People told us they enjoyed the food and were provided with a variety of meals. People were encouraged to be as independent as possible but where additional support was needed this was provided in a caring and respectful manner.
People were encouraged and supported with their hobbies and interests and participated in a variety of personalised meaningful activities. People knew how to make a complaint and said that any concerns were acted on promptly and appropriately.
There was an open and transparent culture. Staff were motivated and morale was high. The management team planned, assessed and monitored the quality of care consistently. Systems were in place that encouraged feedback from people who used the service, relatives, and visiting professionals and this was used to make continual improvements to the service.
All eight people told us that they were very satisfied with the service provided. One person said, 'I have no complaints. I love it here. The staff help you with things and are pretty good. They always ask you if you need anything and are very kind and understanding.' Another person told us, 'It is not an easy job to look after so many people; what pleases one doesn't another but they ( staff) try ever so hard to be get it right and are flexible and accommodating.'
People confirmed they were consulted about the care and support that they were provided with and understood the care and treatment choices available to them. One person told us, 'They (staff) always get my permission before they start helping me. They make sure I am ready. I read somewhere about (different care home) staff getting people ready when they were still sleeping. They just started washing and dressing them without warning. I wouldn't like that it must have been so frightening. They (staff) don't do that here. They (staff) are kind and chatty and don't rush you. They tell you what they are doing. It's nice and reassuring and makes me feel safe.'
We looked at six people's care records which provided information for staff on how to meet individual's health and care needs. We saw that people's choices and preferences were reflected in the care records and written in a way that promoted independence.
We saw that the service provided enough qualified, skilled and experienced staff to meet people's needs. We looked at staff records and spoke with three members of staff who told us they were being appropriately supervised and supported. Staff we spoke with were knowledgeable about the people they supported and on to meet their needs.
We spoke with six people about the quality of the food. Feedback was positive. People said the food was appetising and there was a variety. We observed people as they were eating their lunch. Where a person required full assistance from staff to eat and drink, we observed positive staff interaction.
We saw that the provider had systems and procedures in place to regularly monitor and assess the quality of the service provided. We also looked at the way that complaints were recorded and dealt with, and saw that they were handled in line with the provider's policy.
During our inspection we observed that the interaction between staff and people using the service was friendly, respectful and professional. Staff respected people's privacy and dignity and sought their agreement before providing any support or assistance. One person told us how their choices and preferences were taken into account. They said, 'I prefer not to join in the activities. It's not for me. I like my own company and they (staff) know that. They don't push me to join in but they do ask me to see if I have changed my mind. I won't though but it's nice they still check.'
We saw that care records were regularly audited by the manager and action taken to ensure any areas of concern were addressed.
We found the service was clean and policies and procedures were in place to prevent infection.
We spoke with seven members of staff at different levels in the organisation. All said they were happy working at Buckelsham Grange and felt that they provided care to a good standard.
People's needs were assessed and care and treatment was planned and delivered in line with their individual care plan. However, there were shortfalls noted in all care records seen during our inspection. There was little evidence to show that any of the people who used the service had been involved with their care planning. During our inspection we saw that people appeared to be well looked after.
The medicines management and staff practices were in place and medicines were seen to be appropriately managed and administered. There were sufficient staff on duty to provide the care and attention that people who used the service needed.