The Beeches

On this page

• Overview
• Assessing needs
• Delivering evidence-based care and treatment
• How staff, teams and services work together
• Supporting people to live healthier lives
• Monitoring and improving outcomes
• Consent to care and treatment

Effective – this means we looked for evidence that people’s care, treatment and support achieved good outcomes and promoted a good quality of life, based on best available evidence. At our last assessment we rated this key question good. At this assessment the rating has remained good. This meant people’s outcomes were consistently good, and people’s feedback confirmed this.

This service scored 71 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

The provider made sure people’s care and treatment was effective by assessing and reviewing their health, care, wellbeing, and communication needs with them.

People’s needs were assessed before they moved into the home and their care plans developed from the information recorded. Staff made sure people’s needs were kept under review to ensure any changes were identified and their care plans updated where necessary.

People were encouraged to be involved in their assessments to ensure they had the opportunity to describe their needs and preferences about their care. Relatives were also able to contribute to assessments to ensure their family members’ needs and wishes were accurately recorded.

Staff planned and delivered people’s care in collaboration with them, including what was important and mattered to them. People received care and support that was evidence-based and in line with good practice guidelines. The provider ensured staff were kept up to date with any changes in national legislation, best practice and required standards.

People told us they enjoyed the food at the home and said the chef would provide alternatives to the published menu if they wished. One person told us, “The food is very good. We choose what we want in the morning, but if we don’t like it, they will make us something else.”

The chef explained how people’s views were sought when developing new menus, saying, “About a month before doing a new one, we go around and do taster foods with people to get their feedback. We then draw up a draft menu which goes to the manager and then to head office for approval.” We observed that staff supported people to make informed meal choices by showing them plated meals and asking them which option they preferred.

People’s nutrition and hydration needs were met in line with current guidance. Some people had been assessed by a speech and language therapist and guidance put in place about how staff should prepare their food. Staff followed this guidance to ensure people were supported to eat safely.

The provider worked well across teams and services to support people. They made sure people only needed to tell their story once by sharing information effectively when people moved between different services.

There were procedures in place to ensure information was shared effectively between teams to ensure continuity of care. For example, staff beginning their shift had a handover from a member of staff who had worked the previous shift, which ensured they were up to date about any concerns, appointments, or changes in people’s care.

A team leader planned the allocation for each shift to ensure people received the care they needed. A team leader told us, “We plan the allocation according to the needs of the residents. For example, some may have specific gender requirements for staff.”

Staff groups met regularly, and staff told us these meetings were used to discuss any changes in people’s needs and any concerns they had. Staff said they supported one another well and said there was a good sense of teamwork at the service. One member of staff told us, “The team works very well together.”

The provider supported people to manage their health and wellbeing to maximise their independence, choice and control. Staff supported people to live healthier lives and where possible, reduce their future needs for care and support.

A GP visited the home each week and people told us staff supported them to access other healthcare services when necessary. One person told us, “The doctor comes in once a week, and the chiropodist comes. If I need to see someone, they arrange it.”

Relatives confirmed staff supported their family members to maintain good health and to access care and treatment when they needed it. One relative told us, “[Family member] sees the doctor when she needs to and they arranged a dentist appointment the other day.”

Most people’s care was monitored effectively to ensure they experienced positive and consistent outcomes. For example, people’s needs in relation to nutrition, hydration, and skin integrity were assessed regularly.

However, one person’s health and wellbeing had not been monitored as their care plan stated it should be. The person’s care plan stated they should be weighed weekly to ensure they maintained adequate nutrition. However, the person’s care records did not demonstrate the person had been weighed weekly. The provider acknowledged the person’s weight had not been consistently recorded and created a reminder for staff on the electronic care planning system to ensure the person was weighed weekly and their weight recorded going forward.

The provider told people about their rights around consent and respected these when delivering person-centred care and support. Staff understood the importance of obtaining people’s consent before providing their support.

People said staff sought their consent to care on a day-to-day basis. For example, one person told us, “They know what I like, but they always check with me that I don’t want something different that day.”

Where necessary, assessments had been carried out to determine whether people had capacity to make informed decisions about their care. Assessments were decision-specific in line with the Mental Capacity Act 2005 code of practice. If people did not have capacity to make decisions, appropriate procedures had been followed to ensure any decisions made were in their best interests.