Belle Vue Country House

Updated 19 May 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

The inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Service and service type

Belle Vue country house 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. Belle Vue country house is a care home with nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Registered Manager

This service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. 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 there was a registered manager in post.

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 (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. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with five people and three relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with eight members of staff including nurses, care workers, chef, administrator, registered manager and providers.

We reviewed a range of records. This included four people’s care records multiple medication records and two staff files in relation to recruitment. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including checks, audits and action plans were reviewed. We viewed training records and policies and procedures. We spoke with two health professionals who visit the service. We 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.

Updated 19 May 2022

About the service

Belle Vue Country House provides nursing care and accommodation for up to 41 people. On the day of our inspection there were 30 people living at the home. The home specialises in the care of people living with dementia and mental health conditions. The home is a country house spread over two floors with three communal lounges with dining areas and is set in large surrounding gardens.

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

Risks to people's safety had been assessed, and actions taken to mitigate them. People’s care plans detailed health needs but did not always reflect the personalised care which was being delivered. We have made a recommendation to the provider about further developing care plans to reflect the knowledge and practice in place. This is in the Well-Led section of this report.

People and their relatives were happy with the care they received and felt safe with the staff that were supporting them. People were safeguarded from situations in which they may experience harm. Staff knew how to identify potential harm and report concerns. People received their medicines safely from registered nurses. Checks were carried out prior to staff starting work to ensure their suitability to work with people who used the service.

The culture of the service was positive, and people, relatives and staff were complementary of the management and provider. Improvements had been made to systems and process that monitored the quality of the service being delivered and accuracy of records. Care was personalised to meet people's individual needs and preferences. Staff knew people well and provided support in line with people's preferences. People's diverse needs were catered for and they were treated with dignity and respect. People and relatives described the staff as caring and thoughtful and said they were treated with care and kindness. Feedback about the service from people and those close to them was positive.

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

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 (22 September 2017).

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

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 COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Belle Vue country house on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Recommendations

We have made a recommendation about the recording of information.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.