- Care home
The Beeches
Assessment report published 10 December 2025
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
Date of assessment: 6 November – 14 November 2025. We carried out an inspection to confirm The Beeches met legal requirements, following the breaches in regulation found at our previous inspection relating to safe care and treatment and good governance. We had also received some concerns about the service which required further on-site investigation. The Beeches can accommodate up to 44 people and at the time of our inspection there were 39 people living there. Some people residing at the home were living with dementia.
Significant improvements were found at this assessment, and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations relating to safe and treatment, and good governance. People’s needs were assessed and reviewed regularly, and support plans reflected personal preferences and needs. Evidence-based and good practice approaches were embedded. Staff collaborated with external professionals which supported continuity of care. Health management was proactive, with access to routine and specialist services, and staff responded promptly to emerging concerns.Support plans outlined what mattered to each person and how staff could help them lead meaningful lives. Staff promoted choice and independence and knew those they supported well.
People were treated with kindness and compassion. The service had a good learning culture and people could raise concerns, which the manager investigated effectively. People were protected and kept safe from harm and staff made sure people understood their care and treatment to enable them to give informed consent. Staff understood and managed risks for the people they supported.
We also found the facilities and equipment met the needs of people, were clean and well-maintained and any risks mitigated. There were enough staff with the right skills, qualifications and experience. Managers made sure staff received training to maintain good-quality care. Staff managed medicines well and these were administered to people safely.
Since our last inspection, governance systems had improved. We found risks to people were managed, monitored and recorded appropriately. The manager had good oversight of people’s needs and the quality of information recorded and maintained in people’s care records, and records relating to the management of the service, were sufficiently detailed, up to date and accurate. The registered manager demonstrated a good understanding of their governance responsibilities in relation to assessing, monitoring, and managing the quality and safety of the service they provided.
People's experience of this service
During the assessment we spoke with people who lived in the service and their relatives. The feedback we received was positive. We also used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI). SOFI is a way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us. We observed staff engaged with people, listened to people's views and knew people well. People and relatives told us they felt safe living at the service and staffing levels were sufficient, so their needs were met. People felt staff responded to their needs quickly. With a person commenting, “Yes, I feel safe here and I’ve settled very well. I can’t find any fault with being here.” A relative told us, “I’m very happy that [relative] is here. I’m amazed at how well they have settled in; it has taken a weight off my mind because they are in a safe place.” People and relatives’ members spoke highly of the staff and service, with a person telling us, “It’s friendly here and near to where I used to live. The room is of good size, and they are nice people.” A relative commented, “I can’t say enough good things about the service at The Beeches. We visit regularly, often on Sundays, and we observe good interactions with [relative] and other residents. Staff are effective at managing [relative’s] incontinence. What we see is really positive. We chose this home particularly from the Methodist Homes group as we have faith in their services. We would recommend this home to anyone.” People were happy with the activities on offer at the service. During the inspection, a memorable bonfire night supper had been served on the previous evening, and many people were still talking enthusiastically about how much they had enjoyed pie, peas and hot chocolate whilst watching the firework display. This event was highly enjoyed by very many people. People gave positive feedback regarding the food offered at the service. A person told us, “The food is very good. I can’t fault it.” A relative commented, “The food is very good. [Relative] likes it a lot and their weight has been maintained. [Relative] used to come to us for Sunday lunch, but they now prefer to stay for all meals in the home.” Professional feedback was also positive; they told us the service contacted external agencies in a timely and appropriate manner. They had a good professional relationship with the service and there were no barriers to communicating about people’s needs.