CQC report explained · a residential care home, run by Ivolve Group

Balby

44 Samuel Street, Balby, Doncaster, DN4 9AF

Requires improvementpublished 6 January 2025, 19 months ago

Rated Requires improvement: inspectors found the service was not performing as well as it should and told it what to change.

The latest report, explained

What inspectors found, January 2024

Rated Outstanding; inspectors found exceptionally caring and responsive support, with safe and well-led care rated Good.

The inspection was unannounced and took place on 20 and 23 November 2023. One inspector and an Expert by Experience spoke with people, staff, the registered manager and relatives. They reviewed care plans, medicines records, policies and information about how the home was managed.

The home supports up to eight younger adults with learning disabilities, mental health conditions or autism. Inspectors found people were safe, medicines were managed properly and there were enough suitably trained staff. People were supported to make choices, take positive risks and become more independent.

Care was rated Outstanding because staff treated people with exceptional compassion, dignity and respect. Responsive care was also Outstanding because people were supported to follow their interests, maintain relationships, communicate in their preferred ways and achieve personal goals.

The overall rating was Outstanding. Safe and well-led were rated Good. The previous overall rating was Good, published in March 2018. This was a focused inspection, so the Effective question was not inspected and the overall rating used some previous ratings.

What inspectors praised

Personalised support
Staff understood people's individual wishes, strengths and communication styles. They helped people make choices and work towards their own goals.
“Staff were guided on how to provide exceptional individualised person-centred support with detailed care plans which provided clear guidance on people's wishes.” from the report
Independence and confidence
People were supported to take positive risks and build everyday skills. This included education, volunteering, work, sport and learning to manage medicines.
“People were supported extremely well by staff who had a strong understanding of how to promote their independence and provide the maximum choice possible.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
Inspectors found that staff treated people with compassion and respect. Relatives also described staff as caring and supportive.
“People were exceptionally well supported and treated. People's diverse needs and experiences were equally respected.” from the report
Meaningful lives
People were supported to take part in activities they chose, keep relationships, use local services and pursue employment and other ambitions.
“People were supported exceptionally well to maintain relationships, follow their interests, and take part in activities that were relevant to them.” from the report
Strong teamwork
The home worked with relatives and outside professionals. Staff and managers used audits, meetings and feedback to improve support.
“The provider consistently worked in partnership with others.” from the report

What inspectors were concerned about

Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.

Questions to ask them, based on this report

01How would you support my relative's individual communication needs, especially if they do not communicate mainly through speech?
02What goals and ambitions would you help my relative work towards, and how would you support them to take safe positive risks?
03How would you involve my relative and our family in writing and reviewing their care plan?
04How would you support my relative to manage or become more independent with their medicines?
05What current information can you provide about the Effective area, which was not inspected during this visit?

This was a focused inspection of Safe, Caring, Responsive and Well-led; Effective was not inspected and some ratings used for the overall result carried over from the previous inspection. This explanation was written from the published report of 11 January 2024 by an AI system and checked against the report text: every quoted line appears in the report. It is a guide to the report, not a substitute for it. Read the full report on cqc.org.uk.

The story over the years

Every inspection of Balby

4 rated inspections over 9 years: the service has improved, from Good to Outstanding.

January 2024Outstandingcurrent ratingup from Good
Safe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: OutstandingResponsive: OutstandingWell-led: Good
Read what inspectors found at Balby →
March 2018Goodup from Requires improvement
Safe: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
We are reading this report · the original is on cqc.org.uk
February 2017Requires improvementdown from Good
Safe: Requires improvementEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Requires improvement
Read this report on cqc.org.uk
July 2015Good
Safe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
Read this report on cqc.org.uk
November 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
Read this report on cqc.org.uk
July 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
Read this report on cqc.org.uk
January 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
Read this report on cqc.org.uk
September 2011
Report published without a new overall rating.
Read this report on cqc.org.uk
November 2010
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 8 November 2010.

Ratings and report dates from the Care Quality Commission. A service can also be visited without a new rating being published, so the timeline shows published inspections, not every contact the CQC has had with the service.

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