Beachlands Residential Care Home

Updated 26 February 2020

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

This inspection was carried out by two inspectors.

Service and service type

Beachlands Residential Care Home is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a 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.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

Before the inspection we reviewed the information, we held about the service and the service provider. We sought feedback from the local authority. We looked at the notifications we had received for this service. Notifications are information about important events the service is required to send us by law. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report.

During the inspection

We spoke with five people who used the service and four visitors about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with seven members of staff including the registered manager and the nominated individual. The nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider. We spent time observing people in areas throughout the home and could see the interaction between people and staff. We watched how people were being supported by staff in communal areas.

We reviewed a range of records. This included eight people’s care records, medicine records, two staff files in relation to recruitment and training records. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including fire safety and maintenance of the home.

We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

After the inspection

We spoke to six health and social care professionals about their views of the service.

Updated 26 February 2020

About the service

Beachlands Residential Care Home is a residential care home providing personal care to 21 older people. The service can support up to 29 people. People were living with a range of needs associated with the frailties of old age and some people were living with dementia.

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

The provider, registered manager and staff team had worked hard to address the areas for improvement following the last inspection. The management of risks to people’s skin and recording of accidents had been improved. Staff had received training in supporting people with dementia and were supported with regular supervision. People’s needs around eating and drinking were assessed, and the support each person needed was provided. Care plans included information about people’s life histories. People were supported to take part in activities that were important and meaningful to them.

Quality assurance systems were continuing to be developed, as they did not always effectively identify all areas for improvement. Changes had been made to record keeping but some further improvements were required to ensure that records fully reflected people’s needs, where they need more support and encouragement. For example, with engaging in activities. Further time was needed to fully embed these changes into day to day practice.

People were protected from the risks of harm, abuse or discrimination because staff knew what actions to take if they identified concerns. There were enough staff working to provide the support people needed. Recruitment procedures ensured only suitable staff worked at the service. Risk assessments provided guidance for staff about individual and environmental risks. Staff understood the risks associated with the people they supported. People received their medicines safely, when they needed them.

There was extensive building work ongoing at the time of the inspection. This was being carried out gradually and had been planned to reduce the impact on people. The cleanliness of the home and management of infection control had been maintained throughout the ongoing building work.

People needs and choices were assessed and planned for. Staff received regular training and supervision which enabled them to provide the care and support people needed. People were supported to eat and drink and variety of homecooked meals and snacks throughout the day. People were supported to access healthcare as needed.

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. However, some improvements were needed in how this was recorded.

People were treated with kindness and care. Staff knew people well, understood their care needs and interests. People were involved in making decisions about their day to day care and support. People’s privacy was respected, and dignity upheld. People were encouraged to maintain their independence.

People were encouraged to take part in a range of activities. Complaints were responded to in a timely way. People’s end of life wishes had been explored.

The culture of the service was positive and inclusive. The registered manager was well thought of and supportive to people and staff. People and their relative’s views had been sought and acted upon to further improve the service. Staff worked in partnership with other professionals.

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 requires improvement (published 14 February 2019).

The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve.

At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations. This service had been in breach of regulation for the last three consecutive inspections.

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.