Beeches Care Home

Updated 6 June 2025

Date of assessment: 11 June 2025 to 30 June 2025. The service is a residential care home, providing accommodation for persons who require nursing or personal care. The service can provide support for up to 40 older people and younger adults, including those living with dementia. At the time of our assessment, 36 people were living at the home.

This unannounced inspection was carried out to review the quality of care and compliance with the legal regulations. At the last inspection the service was found to be in breach of the legal regulations relating to person-centred care, safe care and treatment, premises and equipment, good governance and staffing. The service had made improvements and was no longer in breach of these regulations.

Staff had a good understanding of incidents and accidents, and information was shared amongst the team about lessons learnt. The provider ensured people were transitioned into the service safely and were more protected from the risk of abuse. Fire safety systems had improved, and appropriate health and safety checks were now in place. Staff had better access to ongoing training and support, and recruitment processes were more robust. The home was found to be cleaner, and medication was now managed safely.

The provider had an electronic system to plan and record people’s care, and regular reviews were carried out. Staff received guidance and support in line with current best practice. Information about people was shared with staff and the relevant healthcare partners, and people were supported to manage their health and improve their outcomes. Assessments of people’s capacity, and best interest decision making meetings now evidenced people or their relative’s involvement.

Staff were kind and caring and took the time to communicate with people, treating them like individuals. Nursing staff were available to support those people who were unwell, in pain or discomfort. Staff wellbeing and morale had improved.

Staff had a good understanding of the needs of older people and the registered manager promoted continuity of care. People’s communication needs were met, and the home was accessible. Systems to ensure a good standard of end of life care had improved.

There was a positive, compassionate culture at the service and staff confirmed there were more opportunities for them to speak up. The provider had implemented more robust checks and audits to monitor and improve the safety and quality of care, and worked alongside local services and healthcare partners. Since our last inspection the provider had focused on improving the service to ensure their compliance with legal regulation. The registered manager, deputy manager and staff had worked hard to continuously raise standards and enhance people’s quality of life.

However, we were not fully assured staffing levels fully met people’s needs, and information relating to people’s care needs and associated risks was not always correct or consistent. Concerns were also identified around hydration, people’s privacy, their access to meaningful activities and opportunities for feeding back about their care and treatment.

This service has been in Special Measures since 13 December 2023. The provider demonstrated improvements had been made and the service is no longer rated as inadequate overall or in any of the key questions. Therefore, this service is no longer in Special Measures. We will continue to monitor the service to ensure improvements are sustained.

Updated 6 June 2025

People and their relatives generally spoke positively about the service, and the care people received. Comments included, “I think [person] is getting very good care,” “The care I cannot fault at all” and, “If I’d known how nice it was, I would have come sooner.”

Relatives told us people generally felt safe from abuse and gave examples of how the service helped people to stay safe by managing various risks. One relative told us, “[Person] is quite complex. They have no mobility but have vascular dementia and thinks they can stand. [Staff] are very good with them when they try to stand up.”

People confirmed they were supported with their healthcare needs and told us they enjoyed meals at the home. We observed staff knocking on people’s doors, seeking consent and respecting people’s decisions.

Staff were seen to interact with people in a kind and caring manner, and expressed compassion when talking about them. One person told us, “[Staff] are good to me.” Another said, “[Staff] are so lovely and put me at ease.” People spoke about the different ways they were able to have choice and control, and confirmed they were able to enjoy visits from friends and relatives.

Relatives confirmed they were involved in the care planning process and kept informed when people’s needs changed. We observed people receiving person-centred care from staff who knew them well. People and relatives assured us they knew how to raise concerns and felt they would be listened to. One person told us they had the complaints process explained to them saying, “Everything has been fine in that respect.”

However, we received mixed feedback about people’s nutrition and hydration needs being met. A relative told us, “[Person] doesn’t get enough fluids.” But another said, “They keep [person] nicely hydrated.”

People explained the impact the lack of privacy and access to activities had on them. A person told us, “They’ve not got a lock on the bathroom door. You can be showering, and anyone can just walk in. The lack of privacy makes my uncomfortable.” Another added, “The boredom is killing me. A dog comes in and it is lovely, but every day is the same.”