Archived: Beech Court

Updated 21 January 2017

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

This announced inspection took place on 5 January 2017 and was completed by one inspector. The provider was given 48 hours’ notice. This was to ensure that staff were available to support the inspection and that people were aware we may contact them by telephone.

Before the inspection we looked at all of the information that we held about the service. This included information from notifications received by us. A notification is information about important events which the provider is required to send to us by law.

During the inspection we visited the service’s office, spoke with three people and three relatives by telephone. We also spoke with the manager and three care staff. We looked at five people’s care records and records in relation to the management of the service and the management of staff such as supervision and training records. We also received comments from a care manager from a local authority and from a practice manager at a local surgery.

Updated 21 January 2017

This announced inspection took place on 5 January 2017. Beech Court is situated in a sheltered housing complex in the town of Littleport. The service is registered to provide personal care to people some of whom live in the sheltered housing complex and to people living in their homes in the local community. There were eight people receiving personal care from the service when we visited.

A manager was in post who was in the process of applying to be registered with CQC A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) 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.

Staff were knowledgeable about reporting any abuse. There were a sufficient number of staff and recruitment procedures ensured that only suitable staff were employed. Risk assessments were in place and actions were taken to reduce identified risks. Arrangements were in place to ensure that people were supported and protected with the safe management of their medicines.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is required by law to monitor the operation of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and report on what we find. Staff we met were able to demonstrate a good understanding of MCA. This meant that any decisions made on people's behalf by staff would be in their best interest and as least restrictive as possible.

People were supported, where required, to ensure they ate and drank sufficient quantities. People had the choice to eat the food they preferred and healthy eating was promoted by care staff.

Members of staff were trained to provide effective and safe care which met people’s individual needs and wishes. Staff we met understood their roles and responsibilities. They were supported by the manager to maintain and develop their skills and knowledge through ongoing support and regular training. The staff were in contact with a range of health care professionals to ensure that care and support was well coordinated.

People’s privacy, dignity and independence were respected and their care and support was provided in a caring and a patient way.

People and their relatives felt able to raise concerns with the staff at any time A complaints procedure was in place and complaints had been responded to, to the satisfaction of the complainant.

The provider had quality assurance processes and procedures in place to monitor the quality and safety of people’s care. People were able to make changes to the support and care provided to them by the service.