Beacon House

On this page

• Overview
• Assessing needs
• Delivering evidence-based care and treatment
• How staff, teams and services work together
• Supporting people to live healthier lives
• Monitoring and improving outcomes
• Consent to care and treatment

As part of this assessment, we looked at 6 quality statements for the key question of effective. These were, assessing needs, delivering evidence-based care and treatment, how staff, teams and services work together, supporting people to live healthier lives, monitoring, and improving outcomes and consent to care and treatment. Staff received an induction and ongoing training that enabled them to have the skills and knowledge to provide effective care. People's needs were fully assessed and met by trained staff. People were supported to remain healthy and access healthcare services when required. People’s dietary needs were fully met, and staff supported people to eat and drink in line with their assessments and nutritional 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.

This service scored 75 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

The registered manager confirmed that people had a full assessment of their needs before they were admitted to the service.

The initial assessment was used as a foundation for people's plan of care. Care plans were detailed, person-centred and provided staff with the guidance they needed to fully support people. People's needs in relation to equality and diversity were considered during the care planning process, such as age, disability, and religion. Care plans included information about people's preferences and choices, and we saw when a person's needs changed their care plan was updated.

People’s needs and choices were assessed before they went to live at the service. A relative told us that they had been involved in their family members initial needs assessment. They told us, “We were asked to provide lots of information for [family member] and I liked how they asked questions about not just what they needed but what they would like. That gave me confidence.”

Staff were supported and trained to ensure they had the skills and experience to support people and meet their needs. One staff member commented, “The training is very good. We have a lot of training and I have learned a lot.” Staff felt well supported and they told us they had regular supervision to ensure they were working in line with best practice guidance. One commented, “I do get supervisions/meetings with my line manager. Also, you can easily call [manager] for anything.”

New staff completed an induction period, which included shadowing more experienced staff to get to know people, as well as covering the basic training subjects. We saw that an ongoing schedule of training was in place, to ensure staff kept up to date with best practice guidance. Care plans detailed people’s nutrition and hydration needs which were fully assessed and met in line with current guidance. Records showed staff received supervision meetings and annual appraisals from their line managers.

People received care from staff that were well trained and supervised. One person told us, “The nurses are very good and are the best for my issues because my only issue is pain. They know what to do and how to help.” A relative told us, “Staff here are amazing, they are really eager to help, and they know just how to support family member in the right way.”

The registered manager told us that they worked closely with the Dementia Intensive Support Service who visited the service and assisted the staff to ensure the best outcomes for people living with dementia. The service had assisted in early diagnosis for some people which meant strategies could be implemented swiftly. Nursing staff had received training from the Senior Community Tissue Viability Nurse. They liaised with the community team to ensure people with pressure ulcers received appropriate care to aid healing. Two people had been admitted recently with a grade 3 pressure ulcer. The nursing staff had ensured appropriate equipment and care plans were in place and they liaised with dietary services and Tissue Viability Services (TVN) to promote healing.

We received positive feedback from 3 healthcare professionals involved in supporting people living at Beacon House. One commented, “I can honestly say that the ward round is one of the most rewarding and enjoyable aspects of my weekly work. Every member of the Beacon house team has been a pleasure to interact and work with. As a team, they are dedicated, reliable and trustworthy health care professionals who care about their patients and have a keen interest in providing the best care to all residents."

People experienced positive outcomes because different services and staff worked collaboratively to understand and meet people's needs. For example, 1 person was admitted to the service with poor physical and mental health due to self-neglect. The provider worked with the Community Physiotherapist to improve their mobility. An exercise programme was introduced supported by care staff. The person's dietary intake improved and with regular medication reviews both their physical and mental health improved. The provider also liaised with the Community Mental Health Team during this time and the person's social worker. As a result of the different services working together the person was supported to move into independent living accommodation.

Staff had access to the information they needed to assess, plan, and deliver people’s care, treatment and support in line with their needs and wishes. Staff knew how to respond to people's healthcare needs and had access to information about who and when to contact if they had any concerns. Care Plans and risk assessment were detailed and updated as needed. Monitoring charts such as food and fluid and repositioning charts were in place so that staff had good oversight of people’s health conditions.

People were supported to maintain good health and had access to a range of healthcare services. One person told us, "I only have to ask, and they will arrange for me to see the doctor." Another person commented, “You read about how they are trying to tailor people's care and treatment, it’s really true here. The nurses are very effective in following any medical advice or seeking alternatives for you.”

The registered manager told us they worked alongside a variety of professionals to support and promote good care and positive outcomes for people. For example, when people were approaching end of life and palliative care, a referral would be made to the palliative care team. This enables nursing staff to make alterations and adjustments to the person’s care so their needs can be fully met. There were weekly GP rounds where the nursing staff could discuss any concerns about people’s health conditions so that action could be taken swiftly. Nursing staff had a good relationship and link with the Community Diabetic Nurse. This enabled them to send blood sugar results swiftly and seek advice ensuring a quick response and any necessary alterations could be made to medication immediately.

Information about people’s specific medical conditions were included in their care plans. This supported staff to understand people’s healthcare needs and to promote healthier lifestyles. Risk assessments and monitoring charts effectively provided oversight about people’s health conditions. There was collaborative working with other health professionals such as chiropody and opticians who visited the service. These good relationships enabled people to receive timely care to help enhance their quality of life and look at ways for continual improvement. For example, timely prescribing and swift support for medical concerns.

Staff maintained daily records about people's care, including how they were in mood. We saw that support was responsive to people's changing needs and staff recognised how to adjust the care provided dependent on whether a person was having a good or bad day. One staff member told us, “We get to build close relationships with people and get to know them well. Sometimes you can tell by a person’s body language they are not feeling okay. Then we can look at what’s wrong and how we can help.”

People's care and support was planned proactively and in partnership with them and their families. One person told us, “I am involved in my care, and I am listened to. If something is not right, I only have to ask. I have made a lot of improvements since I came here.” People talked to us about how staff included them in the decisions about their care and said staff were always asking if they wanted anything done differently or if their care could be improved in any way. Relatives we spoke with echoed these sentiments.

Services and support were designed and delivered in a way that was collaborative, and mutually respectful of all. For example, people were included in the care planning process ensuring people's care preferences were understood and honoured by staff. Care plans provided clear guidance for staff to follow which included information about people's likes, dislikes, lifestyle, and interests. These were reviewed regularly and updated as needed. People received regular reviews of their care and changes were made if required.

Systems in place to ensure the provider was working within the principles of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) had been strengthened. There were robust assessments in place, taking people's wishes into consideration and ensuring any decision was in the persons best interests. Staff completed training in relation to the MCA and demonstrated a good understanding of the MCA requirements. Care records and assessments detailed the reasons for decisions made, how and why a person was unable to make a choice, despite efforts to help the person do so. Extensive records were completed of decisions made on a person’s behalf.

Staff we spoke with were able to demonstrate their knowledge and knew how to uphold people’s human rights and support people in the least restrictive way. One staff member explained, “We always seek to gain people's consent whenever we do anything.”

People were supported to have maximum control over their lives. One person told us, “I feel involved as much as I can be. I feel important to them, and they spend time explaining things to me.” Another person said, "I am always asked if I would like this or that, nothing is done without staff asking me first.”