A Blackburn care home has been praised for treating people with ‘kindness’ at a recent inspection.

Florence House, on Florence Street, is registered to accommodate 13 people and was assessed in May, a report says. 

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) said the care home was ‘good’ relating to the following elements - safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led.

Inspectors spoke with seven staff and reviewed records and found that incidents and accidents had been investigated and ‘lessons learnt’. 

The CQC said: “Policies and guidance were in place. Safeguarding investigations were ongoing, incidents had reduced.

“Staff were engaged and involved. Professionals confirmed the actions taken for safeguarding concerns. Some professionals said improvements were noted. 

“Medicines were generally managed safely. Team meetings were ongoing. Admission assessments had been completed.

“Care plans reflected changes in people’s needs and the involvement of professionals. 

“Hospital passports were in place. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible.

“We expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted.”

The CQC said risks assessments and safety checks had been completed. 

The commission added: “Staff understood people’s needs. People were treated with kindness, their choice and needs supported. 

“Most people were happy with the care. Audits and monitoring were ongoing. Feedback was mostly positive about the management. 

“The registered manager discussed the action they had taken to address a concern during our observations. Activities were ongoing. Staff were recruited safely, supervision was ongoing. Relevant training was undertaken.”

The CQC earlier in the year spoke to four people and four relatives about their experiences

The CQC said: “Most people and relatives told us they were safe in the service. 

"Comments received included,  “Yes, I feel [relative] is safe there and they do a good job keeping them as safe as they can.” 

“Where a safeguarding concern had been raised the management team discussed the actions taken to investigate and act on concerns.

“No concerns were raised about the staffing levels or skills in the service. 

“We asked if people and their relatives had been involved in assessments or care plan reviews, only one relative confirmed they were approached for their input. People told us they had choices of meals and liked the food. 

“We observed people being included in decisions and staff were seen supporting people positively. 

“We received mixed feedback about the actions taken to ensure people were reviewed by professionals as needed.”