Benfield Hall Nursing Home

Updated 13 November 2019

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by an inspector and an assistant inspector.

Service and service type

Benfield Hall is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided. At the time of our inspection the registered manager was on extended leave. In their absence a manager had been appointed from within the service to manage the home.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with four people who used the service about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with ten members of staff including the registered manager, the manager, nurses, a senior care worker, care workers, the administrator and kitchen and maintenance staff.

Updated 13 November 2019

About the service

Benfield Hall is a home which provides personal and nursing care to 18 people who are experiencing mental health issues. The service can support up to 20 people. Benfield Hall is a large house which has been extended and adapted to accommodate people’s needs.

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

People were cared for in a safe environment. People’s personal risks were documented, and staff knew how to keep people safe. Staff had been trained in safeguarding and had raised concerns. Medicines were safely administered and appropriately documented.

Staff underwent pre-employment checks before they began working in the service. The manager made improvements to checks on agency staff during the inspection. Staff had received support through induction, training and supervision. New arrangements for improved training had been put in place.

People had access to healthcare information on display in the home. Staff assisted people to attend their medical appointments. Staff provided people with a choice of menu and kitchen staff understood people’s food needs.

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.

Care plans were accurate and person centred. People had the opportunity to express their wishes for the end of their life. Complaints were addressed in an appropriate manner.

Staff treated people well. They understood people's needs and approached them with kindness.

Although the registered manager was on extended leave they had kept in touch with the interim manager and provided support. The provider had taken steps to improve the service by appointing a consultant to review the workings of the home.

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 (published 11 June 2016). Since this rating was awarded the provider has altered its legal entity. We have used the previous rating to inform our planning and decisions about the rating at this inspection.

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.