Beechfield Lodge is based in Salford, South Manchester and is a care home, which can accommodate up to 60 people. All the rooms are for single occupation, 45 are self-contained flats with a small kitchenette, lounge and bedroom areas and a bathroom. The other 15 rooms are single bedrooms with the majority having en-suite facilities of a toilet and sink.At the last inspection in July 2014 the service was rated Good.
You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the 'all reports’ link for Beechfield Lodge on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.
At this unannounced inspection on the 29 September 2017 we found the service remained Good. The service met all relevant fundamental standards.
The service had a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons'. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.
People were protected from abuse and all told us they felt safe. Staff were knowledgeable about how to recognise signs of potential abuse and were aware of the reporting procedures. Assessments identified risks to people and management plans to reduce the risks were in place.
Risks had been identified and management systems were in place to monitor risk and reduce incidents ensuring peoples safety. There were also detailed assessments to follow in case of an emergency.
At the time of the inspection there were sufficient staff on duty to meet people’s needs. However the dependency tool lacked detail to determine people’s dependency.
People and their relatives we spoke with told us they though there were sufficient staff on duty. Recruitments procedures ensured the right staff were employed to meet people’s needs safely.
Systems were in place to ensure management of medicines was safe. Staff received training and competency assessments to administer medications safely. The provider completed regular audits of the system to ensure standards were maintained. Although the audits did not cover topical medications and these systems could be improved.
We observed staff took account of people’s individual needs and preferences while supporting them. People were supported to have choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible.
Staff were aware of peoples nutritional needs and people were supported to maintain a balanced diet. People were supported to maintain good health and had access to health care services.
People were treated with respect. People we spoke with and their relatives told us staff were kind, considerate and caring. Staff we spoke with able to tell us how they respected people’s preferences and ensured their privacy and dignity was maintained.
People told us they could take part in activities of their own choice and that there were also organised group activities taking place during our inspection.
There was a system in place to tell people how to raise concerns and how these would be managed. People told us they would feel comfortable raising any concerns with the management team.
Systems were in place to monitor and improve the quality of the service provided. Areas for improvements had been identified and action plans were in place these were followed by staff. The provider also had a quality team who monitored the service to ensure continued improvements.
Staff were clear about their roles and responsibilities and had access to policies and procedures to inform and guide them.
Further information is in the detailed findings below.