• Care Home
  • Care home

Beis Pinchas

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

2 Schonfeld Square, Hackney, London, N16 0QQ (020) 8802 7477

Provided and run by:
Agudas Israel Housing Association Limited

All Inspections

12 February 2019

During a routine inspection

About the service:

Beis Pinchas is a nursing home for up to 44 people from the Orthodox Jewish community. It provides nursing care and accommodation as one single package. At the time of the inspection there were 44 people using the service.

People’s experience of using this service:

The registered manager and management team demonstrated exceptional leadership which positively impacted people using the service and staff working at the home.

People using the service and those close to them were involved in how the home was run and were at the centre of all decision making.

All staff had clear roles and responsibilities and understood the values of the service and lived these values every day.

The management ensured that no one living or working at the home was disadvantaged because of their background, culture, disability or other protected characteristic.

People and relatives told us the registered manager and office and care staff were exceptionally caring and this was evident in the whole ethos of the home.

People received high-quality and person-centred care where staff knew people extremely well.

Everyone living at the home, including those people with high care needs or those who were living with dementia were encouraged to live their lives as independently as possible.

People were supported to identify and access activities that were meaningful and improved their wellbeing.

The home was a hub for the local community which meant people living there benefited from support groups and continued to be valued as vital members of the community.

Staff were well supported, and their views and opinions listened to and used to improve the care delivery.

Staff developed highly positive and trusting relationships with people and their relatives.

Staff were provided with equal and inclusive developmental opportunities to progress their careers with the provider.

People and relatives told us staff provided safe care. The provider ensured people's safety by involving outside organisations in promoting safety. People were protected from the risk of abuse, harm, poor care and neglect.

People were supported by sufficient numbers of staff who were suitably recruited, and knew the risks associated with people's needs and how to manage them safely.

People's needs were assessed before they moved into the home, and they received consistent, timely and effective care.

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.

People were encouraged to live healthy lives with effective support from staff.

People's end of life care needs was met sensitively and people were encouraged to voice their wishes, aspirations and supported to live their dreams.

People and relatives were satisfied with how complaints were addressed.

Rating at last inspection:

At the last inspection in July 2016 this service was rated ‘Good’.

Why we inspected:

This was a planned inspection based on the rating at the last inspection. As a result of this inspection the rating remains 'Good'

Follow up:

Going forward we will continue to monitor this service and plan to inspect in line with our re-inspection schedule for those services rated ‘Good’. If any concerning information is received, we may inspect sooner.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

12 July 2016

During a routine inspection

This inspection took place on 12 and 15 July and was unannounced. At our previous inspection in April 2015 we found breaches of regulations relating to the management of medicines and safe care and treatment. At this inspection, we found that the provider had made improvements and was now meeting these regulations.

Beis Pinchas is a care home with nursing, which is registered to provide accommodation to up to 44 people. At the time of our inspection the service was fully occupied. The service provides support to older men and women from the Orthodox Jewish community. Beis Pinchas is a four story, purpose built building with communal facilities including a day centre, dining room, sensory room and a newly built spa area. There was a large synagogue which is also used by the local community. It shares facilities with the supported living service next door, which jointly forms Schonfeld Square Care Home. All rooms have an ensuite shower, and each floor has shared bathrooms with lifting baths and hoists.

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.

The building was clean throughout, well decorated and well maintained, and provided a safe and accessible environment. Communal areas were large, bright and airy, and featured a computer room, an indoor sensory garden and a large dining area. A 24 hour security guard ensured people were safe.

Risks to people were appropriately assessed and plans were in place to manage these risks. Care plans for people had detailed information about their needs, wishes and life histories, and provided staff with enough information to deliver personalised care. The provider had recently introduced an electronic care notes system which ensured that important information was seen by and recorded by staff, and allowed long term trends in people’s health and needs to be observed. This system aided the delivery of co-ordinated care, for example by automatically generating information to be handed to hospital in the event of an admission. The same system was used to record people’s wishes about end of life care. Medicines were safely stored and administered by the nursing staff, who provided strong and confident leadership.

The provider took care to ensure that meals were of a high quality, nutritious and compliant with Jewish law. People who needed support from staff to eat received this with patience and dignity. Where people were at risk of malnutrition, staff assessed this and recorded people’s food and fluid intake and monitored people’s weights appropriately. Staffing levels were adequate to meet people’s needs, and the service also benefitted from a team of volunteers who provided additional support to people. There were robust and safer recruitment processes in place for staff, and processes in place to ensure that nursing staff were appropriately registered. We noted that the provider had difficulty retaining staff in some cases, which was a source of dissatisfaction to some people we spoke with.

There was a comprehensive and varied activities programme in place, this included visits out to places of interest and typically six activities a day in the communal areas of the building, including talks, exercise groups and music. These were well attended and very popular with people who used the service. Many of these activities were based around Jewish culture and beliefs, which was integral to the way the service was run, and showed strong links with the local community. Staff received frequent training and instruction on how to meet people’s cultural needs. People were dressed appropriately in their chosen clothes and their dignity and privacy were respected. Staff used people’s preferred terms or address and knew their wishes and preferences well. We witnessed many kind and caring interactions from staff, and frequently observed friendly conversation and laughter.

Staff received appropriately levels of training and supervision to carry out their roles, which was monitored by managers. Managers maintained robust and detailed systems of audit and had a strong presence in the service in order to ensure high quality and person centred care. People’s views were taken into account by managers through regular engagement, and when people had made complaints these were investigated and dealt with appropriately. People’s consent was obtained to their care in line with legislation, and when people were deprived of their liberty the provider had taken the appropriate steps to ensure this was in their best interests.

The service had successfully delivered a detailed plan to improve the service since our last inspection.

27, 28 and 29 April 2015

During a routine inspection

The inspection took place on 27, 28 and 29 April 2015 and was unannounced.

Beis Pinchas is a 44 bedded care home with nursing. It provides care and accommodation for people from the Orthodox Jewish community. There were 39 people living at the home at the time of our inspection.

A new manager had been in post since December 2014 and has a pending application to register as the registered manager of the service. 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.

During our inspection we found many areas of good practice and also areas where improvements needed to be made, particularly around accurate records, risk assessments and care files. The manager was aware of most of these areas and the service was undergoing a programme of improvement.

Medicines were largely being administered safely and regularly. However we found improvements were needed for people prescribed pain relief on a when required basis, people having their medicines crushed before administration, and people on anticoagulant medicines. Staff were not always following best practice or the medicines procedure.

People were not always protected from risks to their health and wellbeing because assessments did not provide adequate guidance for staff.

Staff were inconsistent in their understanding of how to support people when they displayed behaviour which challenged the service or others. We found areas of good practice around supporting people with anxiety related to living with dementia but there were discrepancies between staff about whether lawful restraint was used, putting people at risk.

Up to date nursing registration numbers were not held in all staff files.

A thorough recruitment system meant people were supported by care staff and volunteers who were suitable for work in the caring profession.

People were safeguarded from abuse and ill treatment by staff who could recognise signs of potential abuse and know what to do when safeguarding concerns are identified.

Sufficient numbers of staff had been deployed throughout the service to meet peoples’ needs.

The control and prevention of infections was well managed.

Training was provided so that staff had the necessary skills to meet peoples’ need.

The provider had carried out mental capacity assessments and protected people who could not consent to a restriction on their liberty that was necessary for their safety. More information in care plans was needed to guide staff about what was in someone’s best interests.

People were supported to maintain a balanced and enjoyable diet, however, the provider could not be assured people had adequate nutritional intake because records were not up to date.

The provider supported people to maintain good health because they had good access to healthcare services for ongoing support.

The provider did not always support people adequately around their end of life care because care plans did not contain enough information. The provider had recently begun work with a local hospice to improve this area.

The service promoted caring, respectful and dignified relationships between people using the service and staff.

Care staff took care to provide personalised care but the care plans did not always reflect people’s full needs.

People were very well supported to maintain their hobbies and social interactions to minimise isolation.

The provider listened to concerns from stakeholders and responded by making improvements.

The atmosphere at the service was calm, open and happy. Staff morale was high and good communication was entrenched. The service was organised in a way that promoted safe care through effective quality monitoring.

We found two breaches of the regulations relating to medicine management and safe care and treatment. You can see what action we told the provider to take at the back of the full version of the report. We have made a recommendation about monitoring food and fluid intake

8 December 2013

During a routine inspection

On the day of our inspection we spoke with nine people who use the service and eight relatives and friends. We also spoke with a volunteer, members of the nursing and care staff, the care manager and the chief executive. People using the service and their relatives all told us the care was good and the staff were caring. One person using the service said, "I get very good care and the staff are very co-operative. The building is clean and I feel fine here." A relative told us, "it is especially nice and safe here. The staff really pay attention to what people need and there are good social activities."

People told us staff understood their needs and provided appropriate care and support. We found that care was recorded appropriately, with potential risks to people's safety monitored, assessed and updated in a timely manner.

Beis Pinchas provided a comfortable, safe and well maintained environment.

People using the service, and their relatives, told us there were sufficient staff to meet people's holistic needs.

The home had effective systems in place for keeping records which helped to protect people's privacy and safety.

14 March 2013

During a routine inspection

People using the service told us they felt happy and safe living at Beis Pinchas, and the staff were kind and supportive. We spoke with seven people using the service and with the relatives of two other people. A person living at Beis Pinchas told us, 'I am very well looked after. I am given choices and the food is fantastic. I like to welcome and help new people.' A relative said, 'We have nothing but good to say. The staff are very caring and friendly. They treat the residents as very important people.'

We saw staff supported people in a gentle and caring manner. People using the service were offered choices regarding their daily routines, activities and meals. One person told us, 'I choose to get up early for prayers and the care workers know this. They arrive on the dot to help me. All of them are very kind and it is a wonderful place.' Another person said, 'the food is good and tasty and the kitchen staff will always change it if there is a problem.'

We spoke with seven people working at Beis Pinchas, including the registered manager. Staff told us how they promoted people's dignity, offered choices and helped people to feel safe. One member of staff told us, 'we are given a good package of training and support. We are encouraged to always think about people's rights to privacy and respect.'

There were systems in place to seek and act upon the views of people using the service, and monitor the quality of the service.