Beech Cliffe

Updated 12 January 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 checked 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.’

This comprehensive inspection took place on 30 November 2017 and was unannounced. The inspection was undertaken by an adult social care inspector.

Prior to the inspection visit we gathered information from a number of sources. We looked at the provider information return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.

We looked at notifications sent to the Care Quality Commission by the registered manager. We also obtained the views of professionals who may have visited the home, such as service commissioners, healthcare professionals and the local authority safeguarding team.

At the time of our inspection there were six people using the service. We observed staff providing support to people in communal areas of the premises and interactions between people that used the service and staff. We looked around the premises, communal areas and some people's bedrooms with their consent. We spoke with three people who used the service and contacted two relatives after our inspection by phone for their views and feedback.

We spoke with the registered manager, head of care, a senior care worker and two care workers.

We looked at documentation relating to people who used the service and staff, as well as the management of the service. This included people’s care records, medication records, staff recruitment, training and support files, as well as minutes of meetings, quality audits, policies and procedures.

Updated 12 January 2018

At the last inspection in December 2015 the service was rated Good. At this unannounced inspection on the 30 November 2017 we found the service remained Good. The service met all relevant fundamental standards.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the 'all reports' link for ‘Beech Cliffe on our website at www.cqc.org.uk’

Beech Cliffe is a care home located on the outskirts of Rotherham across from Clifton Park. There are local facilities close by and good public transport links. The home caters for up to eight younger people over the age of 18 years old who have a learning disability. There were six people using the service at the time of our inspection.

The service had a registered manager. 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.

People were kept safe by robust risk assessments that identified any risks they faced and measures to keep them safe. Plans were developed to promote people's independence whilst ensuring their safety. Staff understood the importance of promoting people's independence and this was completed in line with people's care plans. Where incidents had occurred, staff took appropriate actions to prevent them from reoccurring. Checks were in place to reduce the risk of environmental hazards and plans had been drawn up to keep people safe in the event of an emergency.

Staff were trained to administer people's medicines and the registered provider followed best practice in the storage and management of people's prescribed medicines.

Robust recruitments procedures ensured the right staff were employed to meet people’s needs safely.

People were served food in line with their preferences. Meals were tailored to people's choices and people were involved in shopping for food and preparing meals. Where people had specific healthcare needs, these were met. Staff supported people to attend healthcare appointments and worked alongside healthcare professionals where appropriate.

People's rights were protected in line with the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). The registered manager understood their responsibilities regarding this.

Staff treated people with kindness, respect and compassion. They were aware of people's communication methods and how they expressed themselves. Staff empowered people to make choices about their care. Staff respected people's individual differences and supported them with any religious or cultural needs. Staff supported people to maintain relationships with families. People's privacy and dignity was respected and promoted.

People had the benefit of a culture and management style that was inclusive and caring. Staff were clear about their roles and responsibilities and had access to policies and procedures to inform and guide them.

People were asked for their views about the service, feedback received was acted upon. The registered manager, staff and senior management team undertook checks and audits of the service to ensure continual improvements. People had access to regular meetings to be involved in the running of the home and staff were also encouraged to contribute their ideas. Staff told us that they felt well supported by management.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.