We carried out a review of the data available to us about The Beeches on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about The Beeches, you can give feedback on this service.
At the last inspection, the service was rated Good.
At this inspection we found the service remained Good.
People using the service felt safe. Staff had received training to enable them to recognise signs and symptoms of abuse and felt confident in how to report them.
People had risk assessments in place to enable them to be as independent as they could be in a safe manner. Staff knew how to manage risks to promote people’s safety, and balanced these against people’s rights to take risks and remain independent.
There were sufficient staff, with the correct skill mix, on duty to support people with their needs. Effective recruitment processes were in place and followed by the service. Staff were not offered employment until satisfactory checks had been completed. Staff received an induction process and on-going training. They had attended a variety of training to ensure they were able to provide care based on current practice when supporting people. They were also supported with regular supervisions.
Medicines were managed safely. The processes in place ensured that the administration and handling of medicines was suitable for the people who used the service.
People were supported to make decisions about all aspects of their life; this was underpinned by the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards. Staff were knowledgeable of this guidance and correct processes were in place to protect people. Staff gained consent before supporting people.
People were able to make choices about the food and drink they had, and staff gave support when required to enable people to access a balanced diet. There was access to drinks and snacks throughout the day.
People were supported to access a variety of health professionals when required, including Community Psychiatric Nurse’s (CPN’s), opticians and doctors, to make sure they received continuing healthcare to meet their needs.
Staff provided care and support in a caring and meaningful way. They knew the people who used the service well. People and relatives, where appropriate, were involved in the planning of their care and support.
People’s privacy and dignity was maintained at all times.
People were supported to follow their interests and join in activities.
People knew how to complain. There was a complaints procedure in place and accessible to all. Complaints had been responded to appropriately.
Quality monitoring systems were in place. A variety of audits were carried out and used to drive improvement.
People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.
Further information is in the detailed findings below.
We carried out an unannounced inspection on 15 September 2015.
The service provides care and support for up to 12 people living with mental health needs, some of whom receive care and treatment under the Care Programme Approach (CPA) and Community Treatment Orders (CTO), of the Mental Health Act 2007. There were 11 people being supported by the service at the time of this inspection because one person was in hospital.
There is a registered manager in post. 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 safe and the provider had effective systems in place to safeguard them.
There were risk assessments in place that gave guidance to staff on how risks to people could be minimised.
People’s medicines were managed safely and administered in a timely manner.
The provider had effective recruitment processes in place and there was sufficient staff to support people safely.
The manager and staff understood their roles and responsibilities in relation to the care and treatment of people under the Care Programme Approach (CPA) and Community treatment Orders (CTO).
Staff had received supervision, support and effective training that enabled them to support people appropriately.
People were supported to have sufficient food and drinks. They were also supported to access other health and social care services when required.
Staff were caring and treated people with respect.
People’s needs had been assessed, and care plans took account of their individual needs, preferences, and choices.
People were supported to pursue their hobbies and interests, and some enjoyed the various planned activities.
The provider had a formal process for handling complaints and concerns. They encouraged feedback from people or their representatives, and acted on the comments received to continuously improve the quality of the service.
The registered manager provided leadership and managerial oversight. They effectively used the provider’s quality monitoring processes to drive improvements.
We saw that the needs of people who used the service had been assessed, and appropriate care and support plans were in place. We found people's care and support plans were reviewed regularly with their involvement. Where necessary, other health and social care professionals were involved in people's care and treatment. There were records to show that people had consented to their care or treatment.
People were supported to make healthy meal choices to ensure their nutritional requirements were met.
The provider had safe medication management systems in place.
People had their comments or complaints listened to and acted on, without the fear that they would be discriminated against for making a complaint
All seven people we spoke with were happy with the support they received from staff. For example one person who had lived in the home for many years said that staff were, "Very helpful and they always organise trips out for us."
We observed that people were offered support at a level which encouraged independence and ensured that their individual needs were met. There was a relaxed atmosphere in the home, and the staff were friendly and polite in their approach to people and interacted confidently with them.
We noted that people were encouraged to express their views and were involved in planning their care and making decisions about their support and treatment, and how they spent their time. One person said "I'm very independent and come and go as I please". They also talked about the range of activities that they, and other people at the home were involved with. For some this involved voluntary work in the local community. Within the care files we saw that care documentation had been signed by the individual or a representative to confirm their involvement and agreement with their particular care needs.