We carried out a review of the data available to us about Belong Newcastle-under-Lyme on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about Belong Newcastle-under-Lyme, you can give feedback on this service.
Belong Newcastle-under-Lyme is a purpose-built care village. There are six separate households, each able to accommodate 12 people who require differing levels of care and support. At the time of the inspection there were 71 people living at the service who were receiving personal and nursing care across six households. The service can support up to 74 people.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
Lessons had been learned from the concerns raised about medicine management. Improvements had been made to the systems in place to ensure future risks were mitigated. Admission processes had been improved, which ensured people’s medicines and health observations were managed safely.
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 26 June 2019).
Why we inspected
We undertook this targeted inspection to check on a specific concern we had about medicines management and health observations on admission to the service. Targeted inspections do not look at an entire key question, only the part of the key question we are specifically concerned about. Targeted inspections do not change the rating from the previous inspection. This is because they do not assess all areas of a key question. During this inspection we reviewed the part of the key questions of Safe.
We found no evidence during this inspection that people were at risk of harm from this concern. The overall rating for the service has not changed and remains good. Please see the Safe section of this full report.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.
Belong Newcastle-under-Lyme is a purpose-built care village. There are six separate households, each able to accommodate 12 people who require differing levels of care and support. At the time of the inspection there were 58 people living at the service who were receiving personal and nursing care across five households. The service can support up to 74 people.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People felt safe. However, some improvements were needed to staffing levels, particularly at night, to ensure people did not have to wait too long for the support they needed.
Improvements had been made to medicines systems since the last inspection and medicines were safely managed. Some improvements were required but the provider was aware of these and had a plan in place to address any issues.
People’s risks were assessed and managed and staff knew how to support people safely. People were protected from abuse and avoidable harm and systems were in place to ensure lessons were learned when things went wrong.
The provider followed safe practices to ensure people were protected from the spread of infection.
Improvements had been made to the quality assurance systems in place. The registered manager had implemented a robust system to check and identify issues with quality and safety of services and there was an action plan in place to address any shortfalls.
The registered manager and the management team were visible and approachable. Staff and the management team shared a vision to provide good quality, person-centred care and were working towards good outcomes for people.
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 requires improvement (published 5 September 2020) and there were two breaches of regulations. The provider was issued with a Warning Notice following the last inspection. At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations.
Why we inspected
We received concerns in relation to staffing levels, particularly at night. As a result, we undertook a focused inspection to review the key questions of safe and well-led only. We also checked whether the Warning Notice we previously served in relation to Regulations 12 and 17 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 had been met.
We reviewed the information we held about the service. No areas of concern were identified in the other key questions. We therefore did not inspect them. Ratings from previous comprehensive inspections for those key questions were used in calculating the overall rating at this inspection.
The overall rating for the service has changed from requires improvement to good. This is based on the findings at this inspection.
We found no evidence during this inspection that people were at risk of harm from this concern. However, we found some evidence that the provider needs to make improvements. Please see the safe section of this full report. The provider was aware of the issues and working on the required improvements.
We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the Safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to coronavirus and other infection outbreaks effectively.
You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Belong Newcastle-under-Lyme on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.
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.
Belong Newcastle-under-Lyme is a purpose-built care village. There are six separate households, each able to accommodate 12 people who require differing levels of care and support. At the time of the inspection there were 56 people living at the service who were receiving personal and nursing care across all six households.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
Medicines were not always managed in a safe way. People’s care records did not always identify or highlight people’s specific needs and risks in relation to medicine administration. There were some issues with the safe ordering, dispensing and the storage of medication.
Staffing dependency tools were used to determine staff levels, however some people and staff told us they felt it would be beneficial if staff numbers were increased.
The quality assurance processes were not always completed in a timely manner and therefore failed to effectively address risk.
People were safeguarded from abuse as staff were trained to recognise and respond to safeguarding concerns.
There were effective infection control measures in place to reduce the risk of cross infection. Accidents and incidents were reported, and information shared amongst staff to prevent reoccurrences.
People and staff felt the management team were approachable and people, relatives and staff were engaged with the service. The provider worked well with other agencies and organisations to improve care for people.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
The last rating for this service was good (report published 26 June 2019)
Why we inspected
We received concerns in relation to the management of medicines, record keeping and staffing. As a result, we undertook a focused inspection to review the key questions of safe and well-led only.
No areas of concern were identified in the other key questions. We therefore did not inspect them. Ratings from previous comprehensive inspections for those key questions were used in calculating the overall rating at this inspection.
The overall rating for the service has changed from good to requires improvement. This is based on the findings at this inspection. You can see what action we have asked the provider to take at the end of this full report.
You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Belong Newcastle-under-Lyme on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.
Enforcement
We have identified breaches in relation to Regulation 12 (safe care and treatment) and regulation 17 (good governance) of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) at this inspection.
Full information about CQC’s regulatory response to the more serious concerns found during inspections is added to reports after any representations and appeals have been concluded.
Follow up
We will request an action plan for the provider to understand what they will do to improve the standards of quality and safety. We will work alongside the provider and local authority to monitor progress. We will return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.
Belong Newcastle-under-Lyme is a purpose-built care village located within the town of Newcastle-under-Lyme. There are six separate households, each able to accommodate 12 people who require differing levels of care, support and treatment. At the time of the inspection there were 38 people living at the service who were receiving personal care and nursing across four households.
People’s experience of using this service:
Improvements were needed to ensure people’s records consistently contained detailed information for staff to follow. We made a recommendation for the provider to implement a suitable system to ensure time specific medicines were consistently administered in line with guidance.
People were supported by safely recruited staff who had the skills and knowledge to provide safe and effective support. People were supported by staff that understood their responsibilities to safeguard people from the risk of harm. There were systems in place to ensure lessons were learnt when things went wrong.
Effective care planning was in place which guided staff to provide support that met people’s diverse needs and in line with their preferences. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.
People were supported by caring and compassionate staff that supported people with patience. People’s choices were respected in line with their individual communication needs to promote informed decision making. People’s right to privacy was up held and their independence was promoted. People’s independence was encouraged, which was in line with the provider’s visions and values.
People had the opportunity to be involved in interests and hobbies and had opportunities to access the wider community. Complaints were listened to and improvements were made as a result of feedback. People’s end of life wishes were gained and staff ensured people were comfortable and relaxed at this time of their lives.
There was an open culture within the service where feedback was gained from people, relatives and staff, which was used to make improvements to people’s care. There were systems in place to monitor the service and mitigate risks to people. The provider had a clear vision for the future of the service, which was followed in practice by the registered manager and staff.
Rating at last inspection:
This was the first ratings inspection.
Why we inspected:
This was a planned inspection to assess whether the provider was meeting the required standards and to provide a rating.
Follow up:
We will continue to monitor the service through the information we receive.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk