Big improvements praised at Colne care home

MHA Belvedere Manor achieved a ‘good’ rating in all categories of the Care Quality Commission’s report, which assessed the home based on whether it is safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led.

The new rating is welcome news to staff, residents and their families after previous inspection, carried out in June 2018, had found the home to be ‘inadequate’ in several of these categories.

There was high praise in the report for how staff promoted residents’ rights and delivered person-centred care.

The report detailed: “All people expressed satisfaction with the care provided and made complimentary comments about the staff team. Relatives also praised the approach of staff. One relative commented: "The staff are thoughtful and interact with people well."

Inspectors commented on how ‘people were supported to access healthcare services. Staff had strong, supportive relationships with other agencies and professionals to provide a flexible and effective service, which adapted to people's needs.

The inspectors also recognised that "the provider had established good infection control practices. Staff followed the provider's policies and the home was clean, hygienic and pleasant smelling throughout. People and their relatives said the home had a good level of cleanliness and was well maintained."

Other comments from the report included:

• Staff made sure people were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and supported them in the least restrictive way possible. Best interests meetings had been held to ensure people's rights were protected.

• Staff had a good knowledge of people’s preferences and were responsive to their needs. They maintained detailed daily records of care and handover records. These provided information about changing needs and any recurring difficulties. We noted people's needs were described in respectful and sensitive terms.

• A visiting healthcare professional and a relative praised the staff's commitment to providing high quality end of life care.

• Staff interacted with people in a warm and friendly manner and people were comfortable in the presence of staff who were supporting them. Staff understood their role in providing people with compassionate care and support. They were knowledgeable and respectful of people's diverse needs and had built positive relationships to support them.

Home manager Ali Gopaul said: “We are delighted to receive such a fantastic all-round CQC inspection. We have worked so hard in the last 18 months to improve our home after the last inspection and it is wonderful to see our efforts being recognised. Our residents are at the heart of what we do so this result is as much for them as it is for us as a team.”

Kerry Smith, area manager, added: “It’s been a pleasure to see the home improve so much under the leadership and guidance of Ali and his management team. I’m looking forward to working with them and seeing the resident experience continue to improve over the coming months.”