Archived: Beechdene Care Home

Updated 27 July 2019

The inspection

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.

Inspection team

One inspector carried out this inspection.

Service and service type

The service is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care. The Care Quality Commission (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 we reviewed information available to us about this service. This included details about incidents the provider must notify us about, such as abuse; and we sought feedback from commissioners and professionals who work with the service. We assessed the information we require providers to send us at least once annually to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection we spoke with the two assistant managers, and two staff members. We also spoke with six people and spent time observing other people completing their daily activities.

We looked at three people’s care records including medication administration records (MARs). We looked at two staff members records. We looked at records relating to the management of the service. These included accident and incident records, meeting minutes and quality assurance records.

During our visit we also spoke with three close relatives and two healthcare professionals via telephone.

Updated 27 July 2019

About the service

Beechdene Care Home is a large home, bigger than most domestic style properties, providing support to people living with a learning disability and/or autism. It was registered to support up to 17 people. 17 people were using the service at the time of inspection. The accommodation comprised of 17 bedrooms across three floors. This is larger than current best practice guidance. However, the size of the service having a negative impact on people was mitigated by the three lounges, computer room and other communal spaces where people could choose to spend time alone or in company.

The service has been developed and designed in line with the principles and values that underpin Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. This ensures that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes. The principles reflect the need for people with learning disabilities and/or autism to live meaningful lives that include control, choice, and independence. People using the service receive planned and co-ordinated person-centred support that is appropriate and inclusive for them.

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

Staff knew people well and supported people in line with the person’s preferences and wishes. Staff encouraged people to retain their independence, but we discussed with the assistant managers that the younger adults at the home could have plans and support that were more geared to them achieving skills to move on from the service if they so wished.

Medicines were managed safely, there were enough staff on duty and staff were recruited safely.

People were supported to access healthcare services if needed. People were supported to have enough to eat and drink and staff were trained to support people who had different dietary needs.

Interactions we saw between people and the staff team were positive and relatives also said they were made very welcome at the home.

Care and support plans were person centred and people were involved in their reviews.

People were supported to engage in activities they enjoyed and we saw the service promoted people accessing local community facilities and supporting them to go on trips and holidays. People and their relatives told us they knew how to make a complaint.

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.

Systems to monitor the quality of the care provided were effective. The service was going through a change of provider, but we saw the assistant managers had a clear vision about the quality of care they wanted to provide. The service worked well with other community partners.

The service applied the principles and values of Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These ensure that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes that include control, choice and independence.

The outcomes for people using the service reflected the principles and values of Registering the Right Support by promoting choice and control, independence and inclusion. People's support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible for them to gain new skills and become more independent.

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 (published September 2015).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.