Balclutha Court Care Home

1. To keep people safe and promote their health and wellbeing, the provider should ensure recording in relation to health and wellbeing monitoring is consistent across the service. This should include, but not be restricted to, monitoring charts being fully completed and detailing why monitoring is in place, review dates, thresholds of when actions are required and evidence of action taken when needed. This is to ensure care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standards (HSCS) which state that: "I experience high-quality care and support because people have the necessary information and resources." (HSCS 4.27).

2. The provider should ensure that care and support is consistently person-centred and based on individuals’ assessed needs and identified risks. People should be enabled to maintain their independence and make choices about how their care is delivered. This should include ensuring that daily routines, support arrangements and levels of observation are clearly tailored to each person. Care plans should provide clear guidance to support staff to deliver timely, respectful and enabling care. This is to ensure care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standards (HSCS) which state that: "I am empowered and enabled to be as independent and as in control of my life as I want and can be." (HSCS 2.2) and "I am as involved as I can be in agreeing and reviewing any restrictions to my independence, control and choice." (HSCS 2.6).

1. To support safe, consistent and effective care, the provider should ensure there are clearly defined roles and responsibilities across the staff team, based on staff skills, knowledge and professional competence. This should include ensuring that expectations for care delivery, recording, oversight and quality assurance are clearly understood by all staff, and that responsibilities are appropriately allocated and consistently applied in practice. This is to ensure care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standards (HSCS) which state that: "If I am supported and cared for by a team, this is well-coordinated so that I experience consistency and continuity." (HSCS 4.17).

1. To ensure care is consistently well planned, delivered and understood, the provider should ensure that care planning processes are clear, accurate and effectively communicated with people, their families and staff. This should include, but not be restricted to, ensuring care plans are regularly updated to reflect people’s current needs and preferences, including the views of people and their families. Ongoing discussions about care and support should be meaningful and linked into the care planning and regular review process. This is to ensure care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standards (HSCS) which state that: "My personal plan (sometimes referred to as a care plan) is right for me because it sets out how my needs will be met, as well as my wishes and choices." (HSCS 1.15).

1. To make sure people get the right food and nutrition, the provider should make sure staff preparing modified meals have the right knowledge and feel confident in their roles. This includes reviewing the information shared with kitchen staff, so it clearly shows what type of meal each person needs, including any changes like adding extra nutrients. The provider should ensure staff have sufficient training and guidance to help build their skills and understanding in this area. This is to ensure care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standards (HSCS), which state that: 'I have confidence in people because they are trained, competent and skilled' (HSCS 3.14)

1. To help keep people safe and ensure they get the right medication at the right time, the provider should strengthen their quality assurance processes for medication management. This should include, but is not limited to, reviewing how medication records are checked and how communication between staff is managed, to help prevent errors and missed doses. This is to ensure care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standards (HSCS), which state that: 'My care and support meets my needs and is right for me' (HSC 1.19) and 'I am protected from harm, neglect, abuse, bullying and exploitation by people who have a clear understanding of their responsibilities' (HSCS 3.20).

1. To help keep people safe in the event of a fire, the provider should make sure that fire escape routes are always kept clear of combustible items. This includes removing laundry bins, clothes rails, or any other flammable materials from corridors used as fire exits, and ensuring regular checks are carried out and issues followed up quickly. This is to ensure care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standards (HSCS), which state that: 'My environment is secure and safe” (HSCS 5.17) and “I experience an environment that is well looked after with clean, tidy and well maintained premises, furnishings and equipment” (HSCS 5.22).

2. To support people’s independence and help them move around safely, the provider should improve signage and wayfinding in the environment. This should include, but is not limited to, making sure signs are clear, easy to understand, and placed where people need them most. This is to ensure care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standards (HSCS), which state that: 'I can independently access the parts of the premises I use and the environment has been designed to promote this' (HSCS 5.11).