Background to this inspection
Updated
5 February 2022
The inspection
We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
As part of this inspection we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place. This was conducted so we can understand the preparedness of the service in preventing or managing an infection outbreak, and to identify good practice we can share with other services.
Inspection team
This inspection was carried out by one inspector and one Expert by Experience. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.
Service and service type
Becket House is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.
The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.
Notice of inspection
This inspection was unannounced.
What we did before the inspection
We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and clinical commissioning group (CCG) who commission with the service. We also contacted Healthwatch. Healthwatch is an independent consumer champion that gathers and represents the views of the public about health and social care services in England. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.
The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require provides to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report.
During the inspection
We spoke and met with three people who used the service and three family members about their experience of the care provided. We had discussions with five staff including the registered manager, a registered nurse, the housekeeper and two care and support workers.
We reviewed a range of records. This included three people’s care records and multiple medication records. We looked at three staff files in relation to recruitment. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including monitoring of quality and risk, policies and procedures and minutes of meetings were examined.
Updated
5 February 2022
About the service
Becket House Nursing Home provides nursing and residential care for older people, some of who may be living with dementia. The home can accommodate up to 23 people in one large adapted building. At the time of our visit there were 18 people using the service.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People were safely cared for. Staff understood safeguarding procedures and were confident in reporting any concerns. Risks to people's safety were assessed and well managed, and people’s care plans detailed current risks and individual needs. There were sufficient numbers of staff who had been safely recruited to meet people's needs.
Medicines were managed safely, and infection control measures were robustly followed. During the COVID-19 pandemic safe visiting processes were in place to support people to maintain relationships with friends and relatives.
People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.
The service was well managed. People, relatives and staff were very positive about the leadership of the service and praised the registered manager highly. There were systems in place to monitor the quality of the service and actions were taken, and improvements were made when required. Staff felt well supported and said the registered manager was open and approachable. The service worked in partnership with outside agencies.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection and update
The last rating for this service was Requires Improvement (report published 04 September 2019) and there was one breach of regulation 18 (Staffing) of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities). The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve. At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations.
Why we inspected
We carried out an unannounced comprehensive inspection of this service on 22 July 2019. A breach of legal requirements was found. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve staffing.
We undertook this focused inspection to check they had followed their action plan and to confirm they now met legal requirements. This report only covers our findings in relation to the Key Questions Safe and Well-led which contain those requirements. The ratings from the previous comprehensive inspection for those key questions not looked at on this occasion were used in calculating the overall rating at this inspection. The overall rating for the service remains Requirement Improvement. This is based on the findings at this inspection.
We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the Safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.
You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Becket House Nursing Home on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.