Baytrees

Updated 22 June 2022

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 Health and Social Care Act 2008.

As part of this inspection we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place. This was conducted so we can understand the preparedness of the service in preventing or managing an infection outbreak, and to identify good practice we can share with other services.

Inspection team

Two Inspectors and an Expert by Experience carried out the inspection. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Service and service type

Baytrees is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and / or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. Baytrees is a care home without nursing care. 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 they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided. However, the provider had recently appointed a new manager who had started the process to become the registered manager. The new manager in post at the time of the inspection is the manager referred to throughout this report.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before inspection

We looked at information we had received about the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually 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 of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We communicated with 10 people who used the service and two relatives about their experience of the care provided. The Expert by Experience contacted relatives remotely by telephone. People who were unable to speak with us used different ways of communicating. Some people used Makaton and communicated through staff, others used pictures, their body language and facial expressions.

We spoke with seven members of staff including the registered manager, the manager and support workers. We reviewed a range of records. This included five people’s care records and 10 medication records. We looked at three staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including quality assurance records, training data and policies and procedures were reviewed.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at staff rotas and requested feedback from three health professionals who regularly visit the service.

Updated 22 June 2022

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ is the guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements about services supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people and providers must have regard to it.

About the service

Baytrees is a residential care home providing accommodation and personal care for up to 10 people with a learning disability and autistic people. Care is provided over two floors in the main house and in a separate building in the grounds of the home. At the time of the inspection 10 people were living at the service. Nine people where accommodated in the main house and one person in the separate building.

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

Right Support

People were supported to have the maximum possible choice, independence and control over their own lives. People and their relatives were involved in their care and support was planned to ensure people had a good quality of life. People were supported to make choices about where they go, what they do and to follow their own interests. A relative told us, “[Person] doesn’t have any great needs but the whole home has really welcomed them. It’s like they’ve been there years, they love it there.” Staff supported people to make decisions following best practice in decision-making and communicated with people in ways that met their needs. People went out often and accessed local health services; they regularly went on holiday and were supported to follow their dreams and aspirations. People were supported to maintain relationships with those who were important to them, they could visit people outside their home and have people visit them. People were supported by staff to use technology and video call their loved ones. People received care and support in a safe, clean, well equipped, well-furnished and well-maintained environment.

Right Care

People received kind and compassionate care. Staff respected and promoted people's dignity, privacy and human rights. Care and support plans were person-centred, focussed on people's strengths and promoted independence. People who had individual ways of communicating, using body language, sounds, Makaton (a form of sign language), pictures and symbols could interact comfortably with staff and others involved in their care and support because staff had the necessary skills and experience to understand them. Staff were appropriately skilled to meet people’s needs and keep them safe. A relative told us, “They [staff] all know what they’re doing, they always talk to [person], not over their head, everyone knows [person] and says hello. They have their own core staff who know them best though and they’re very caring.” Staff understood how to protect people from poor care and abuse and worked well with other agencies to do so. People told us they felt safe and viewed staff as their family. People had unrestricted access to their rooms which promoted privacy and dignity. Staff ensured people's human rights were met and people were supported to understand they have the same rights and responsibilities as other citizens.

Right culture

Staff placed people's wishes, needs and rights at the heart of everything they did. The service promoted a homely, family-based culture and people were supported in this way. Staff understood the importance of relationships to people and made communication a priority. The managers and staff at the service demonstrated values, attitudes and behaviours which supported people to lead confident, inclusive and empowered lives. Staff had received specific training to meet the needs of people with a learning disability and autistic people and spoke with passion about people and the care and support they provided. The service promoted an open and transparent culture which encouraged people and their relatives to share their views and ideas for developing the service. We saw staff fully involving people with activities and tasks of their choosing. Interactions between people and staff were patient, kind, sensitive and assuring. People were relaxed, often seen smiling and laughing together in their home.

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.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Why we inspected

We undertook this inspection to assess that the service is applying the principles of Right support, right care, right culture.

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.