Blatchington Manor

People were safe at Blatchington Manor, and relative feedback reflected this. Some minor areas of improvement were required, especially around incident and accident analysis, and deployment of staff throughout the service. Although the management team had oversight of accidents and incidents, regular monthly checks to identify patterns and trends were inconsistent. Staff levels needed review to ensure they were always sufficient throughout the day. The management team were receptive to this feedback and began to review processes straight away. Staff demonstrated a good knowledge of safeguarding and how to recognise and report any concerns they had. People and relatives told us they felt safe at the home and would not hesitate in raising any issues they may have. Risks to people had been assessed and measures put in place to minimise these. Staff knew people well and how best to support them to keep them safe. There was a positive culture of learning within the home and regular handovers and meetings allowed any changes to people’s needs to be shared.

Systems were in place to promote good practice and improvements within the service. There were some areas that needed to become more robust to ensure outcomes and actions were clearly documented. For example, the analysis of falls could be improved to further minimise this risk to people. The management team had already started work on this and the impact to people was positive. The manager had a good knowledge of their roles and responsibilities, duty of candour and had reported matters appropriately to both the local authority and CQC. Staff spoke positively about working at Blatchington Manor, they were proud to be part of the home. They told us that the management team were supportive, and they were given the opportunity to individually progress and contribute to the running of the service. There was a positive culture at the home.