Belamie Gables Care Home

Updated 3 February 2018

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.

Belamie Gables is a care home (without nursing). People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection. Belamie Gables accommodates up to twenty people in one adapted building, over two floors.

The inspection was unannounced and took place on 04 January 2018.The inspection was completed by one inspector.

We used information the provider sent us in the Provider Information Return (PIR). This is information we require providers to send us to give us some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.

We looked at all the information we have collected about the service. This included the previous inspection report and notifications the registered manager had sent us. A notification is information about important events which the service is required to tell us about by law.

We looked at paperwork for six people who live in the service. This included support plans, daily notes and other documentation, such as medication and financial records. In addition we looked at records related to the running of the service. These included a sample of health and safety, quality assurance, staff and training records.

During our inspection we observed care and support in communal areas of the home and used a method called 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 to us.

We spoke with four people who live in the service, three staff members and the acting manager. We spoke with two professionals who were visiting the home and requested information from a further three professionals including the local safeguarding team. We received responses from one of them. We received written comments from two relatives of people who live in the home.

Updated 3 February 2018

This was an unannounced inspection which took place on 04 January 2018.

Belamie Gables is a residential care home which is registered to provide a service for up to twenty older people. Some people were living with other associated conditions such as dementia and physical and sensory difficulties.

At the last inspection, on 08 February 2016, the service was rated as good in all domains. This meant that the service was rated as overall good. At this inspection we found the service remained good in all domains and overall good.

Why the service is rated good.

There is not a registered manager running the service, currently. However, the service has been managed to a good standard by an interim and acting manager since the registered manager cancelled their registration. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission 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.

The provider and managers ensured people, staff and visitors were protected from harm and the service remained as safe as possible. The staff team were trained to maintain and promote people’s health, well-being and safety.

People were protected by staff who understood how to protect the people in their care and knew what action to take if they identified any concerns. They made sure that people were not subjected to any poor practice or abuse.

The service continued to identify general risks and risks to individuals and appropriate action was taken to reduce them, as far as possible.

People benefitted from adequate staffing ratios which ensured there were enough staff on duty to meet people’s diverse, complex and individual needs safely. Recruitment systems were in place to make sure, that as far as possible, staff recruited were safe and suitable to work with people. People were supported to take their medicines, at the right times and in the right amounts by trained and competent staff. They were encouraged to take some responsibilities for their own medicines, as was safe and appropriate.

People continued to be cared for by trained staff who were supported to make sure they could meet people’s varied and sometimes complex needs. Staff dealt effectively with people’s current and changing health needs. They worked closely with health and other professionals to ensure people received the best care possible.

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 continued to be supported by a caring and committed staff team who continued to meet people’s needs with patience and kindness.

The service was person-centred and responsive to people’s needs and preferences. Activity programmes were designed to meet people’s needs and interests. Care planning was individualised and regularly reviewed which ensured people’s needs were met and their equality and diversity was respected.

There was no registered manager in post, currently. However, the service was being managed by an acting manager who had worked in the home for a number of years and was beginning the registration process. The acting manager was supported by a strong and experienced team of senior staff. Staff described the manager and management team as open, approachable and supportive. The manager and staff team were committed to ensuring there was no discrimination relating to staff or people in the service. The quality of care the service provided was assessed, reviewed and improved, as necessary.