Beccles Care Home

Updated 25 April 2023

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

An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Service and service type

[Care home name] 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. Beccles Care Home is a care home without nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the 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.

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

During the inspection

We spoke with 3 people who used the service about their experience of the care provided and 5 people’s relatives. We also spoke with 8 staff, which included care staff, maintenance staff, the deputy manager, registered manager and the regional area manager. We also had email contact with a further 9 staff who provided their feedback.

We observed people's care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us. We reviewed a range of records. This included four people's care records and multiple medication records. We looked at a variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

Updated 25 April 2023

About the service

Beccles Care Home is a residential care service providing accommodation and personal care to up to 35 people aged 65 and over. It provides support to older people, and people living with dementia. At the time of the inspection there were 14 people living in the service.

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

People received safe care and support and they told us they felt safe living at Beccles Care Home. Staff understood safeguarding procedures and were confident in reporting any concerns. Risks to people's safety were assessed and well managed, and people's care plans detailed current risks and individual needs.

There were sufficient, safely recruited, staff employed to meet people's needs and staff responded to people's needs in a timely way. The registered manager and provider monitored accidents and incidents, which ensured staff learned lessons when things went wrong. Medicines administration records (MAR) confirmed people had received their medicines as prescribed and medicines were managed safely.

People were supported to eat and drink a balanced diet and had a choice of meals, snacks, and drinks.

Staff training was relevant and up to date. The staff team sought healthcare advice from a multi-disciplinary team of professionals when required to ensure people’s needs were met.

The atmosphere within the home was friendly and welcoming and staff were warm and considerate towards the people they cared for. A relative told us, “I do appreciate all the care [family member] receives. The care staff are far more relaxed and happier in their jobs now. I think a lot of that improvement is down to [registered manager] who is approachable and encouraging to the staff team.”

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.

The registered manager and provider had worked hard to make the required improvements, this demonstrated their commitment to driving improvements in the safety and quality of person-centred care. All aspects of the service were regularly audited. There was a positive, person-centred approach to the planning and provision of people's care. People, their relatives and staff all spoke positively about the management of the service.

Staff felt supported by management and enjoyed working at the service.

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

Rating at last inspection and update

This service was registered with us on 4 January 2022, and this is the first inspection under the new provider and new service name of Beccles Care Home.

The last rating for the service under the previous provider, and the care home name of St Georges Care Home, was inadequate, published on 3 August 2022.

Why we inspected

This is the first inspection for this newly registered 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.

The overall rating for the service is good based on the findings of this inspection.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for St Georges Care Home on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Follow up

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