Archived: Beech House Care Home

Beech House Care Home is residential care home which was providing personal care for 22 people at the time of the inspection. The service can support up to 30 people. The service can provide care for people living with dementia.

Beech House Care Home accommodates people in one adapted building.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

The management team reviewed the service provided. Following a recent audit, people’s care records were being reviewed and re-written to make them more person-centred and to ensure they reflected people’s full and current needs. Care was being monitored to ensure it was provided for people in a timely way. A refresher course in safe medicine management was being undertaken by staff to improve their practice.

We have recommended the provider continues to monitor people’s care records and undertakes checks to make sure people receive timely care.

Minor issues with infection control found during the inspection were addressed.

There was a new manager in place who responded positively to people using the service. One person told us, “The manager does their best for us.”

People were safeguarded from abuse by staff who understood the action they must take to report concerns. People’s risk assessments were being reviewed. Accidents and incidents were monitored, and corrective action was taken to prevent re-occurrence. There were enough staff provided to meet people’s needs. Recruitment was robust.

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.

A range of training was provided for staff to develop or maintain their skills. Staff were supported through supervision and appraisals were scheduled to take place.

People were supported by kind staff. People’s privacy was protected, and their diversity was respected. Information was provided in a format that met people’s needs.

People were encouraged to maintain their independence and choice. People’s nutritional needs were assessed, monitored and reviewed. People’s wellbeing was monitored by staff. Health care professionals were contacted for advice.

People were aware about how to make a complaint. Issues reported were investigated and discussed with the complainant. Activities took place in line with people’s preferences, hobbies and interests. End of life care was provided at the service.

The manager and management team were available for people to speak to. The views of people living at the service, relatives, visitors and staff were sought. Feedback received was acted upon. Data security was maintained.

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 good (published 14 September 2017).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

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.

Beech House is situated in the small town of Barton on Humber and near to local amenities, bus and train routes. The care home can provide accommodation for 30 people requiring personal care.

There was a registered manager in place. 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 registered manager is referred to as the manager throughout this report.

At our last inspection the service was rated as Good. At this inspection we found the service remained good.

Care and treatment was planned and delivered to maintain people’s health and safety. People's needs were met by sufficient numbers of staff. Recruitment processes were robust. Medicines were dispensed by staff who had received training to undertake this safely.

Staff were provided with training to help them care for people. They received supervision and appraisal which helped them develop their skills. People’s dietary needs were met. The service was maintained and homely; this made it a pleasant place for people to live.

People were safeguarded from avoidable harm and abuse. Staff were provided with training in Safeguarding Adults from abuse, Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). The manager knew how to make a referral for further assessments if required. People are supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff support them in the least restrictive way possible, the policies and systems in the service support this practice.

Staff cared for people and supported them with kindness, dignity and respect. End of life care was provided.

People’s care and support was monitored to ensure people received the care and support they required. Staff contacted relevant health care professionals for help and advice and acted upon what they said to maintain people’s wellbeing.

The service had a number of ways of gathering people's views including using questionnaires and by talking with people, staff, and relatives. The manager carried out a number of quality monitoring audits to maintain and improve standards of care and support.

People told us that they were, 'Happy and comfortable' with the way that staff supported them. They told us that staff listened and talked with them about their individual preferences. A visiting relative told the Expert by Experience they were included in decisions and able to have input and make suggestions, about care their mother received.

The Expert by Experience told us that people said staff were helpful and 'Excellent' and that one person had told them, 'They treat everybody with respect.'

There were systems in place to effectively assess and monitor the quality of care and support that was delivered. There was evidence the manager had a welcoming approach, had an open door policy and held weekly surgeries, to enable people to raise concerns should they require.

Policies and procedures available on the storage of information and records management. We found this included details about access to information, confidentiality and the retention periods for documentation.

People that used the service told us they were happy with the service provided and that staff listened to them, this ensured their individual needs and wishes were respected. We observed that staff displayed an open and friendly approach and saw that they talked to people and involved them in decisions and choices about their daily routines.

People told us that they were provided with, 'Good food' and got 'Lots of choices.' People said they were consulted about their meals and we observed that alternatives were provided, which enabled their dietary needs to be met.

People that used the service told us that they felt, 'Safe' and that they were 'Reassured' that staff were available to ensure they were protected from potential harm.

People said they would talk to the manager if they had any concerns about the service. People told us however they were, 'Very Satisfied' and had no complaints.