• Care Home
  • Care home

Beechwood Lodge

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

Meadow View, Norden, Rochdale, Lancashire, OL12 7PB (01706) 860369

Provided and run by:
Finbrook Limited

All Inspections

22 November 2022

During an inspection looking at part of the service

Beechwood Lodge is a residential care home providing accommodation and personal care for up to 66 people. There were 56 people living in the home at the time of the inspection. The home has four distinct areas known as Oak, Maple, Holly and Willow. People with dementia were provided with care and support in the Oak and Maple areas of the home.

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

People told us they felt safe living in the home, and they were happy with the service provided. Staff had received training on safeguarding vulnerable adults and had access to the provider’s policies and procedures. There were sufficient numbers of staff deployed to meet people's needs and ensure their safety. The recruitment procedures had been improved and ensured prospective staff were suitable to work in the home. There were minor shortfalls in the management of medicines and records intended to monitor risks. The registered manager immediately addressed these issues during the inspection. Individual and environmental risks had been assessed and recorded. The premises had a good standard of cleanliness and people were protected from the risk of infection.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. People's needs were assessed prior to them using the service. There was ongoing training for all staff. Staff were supported with regular supervisions and were given the opportunity to attend regular meetings to ensure they could deliver care effectively. People were supported to eat a nutritionally balanced diet and to maintain their health.

The registered manager and staff had worked hard to address the shortfalls identified at the last inspection. The management team carried out a series of audits to check and monitor the quality of the service and ensure records were completed accurately. The registered manager provided clear leadership and considered the views of people, their relatives and staff in respect to the quality of care provided. The registered manager and staff used the feedback to make ongoing improvements to the service.

Rating at last inspection and update

The last rating for this service was requires improvement (published 29 June 2022).

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 has been in Special Measures since 29 June 2022. During this inspection the provider demonstrated that improvements have been made. The service is no longer rated as inadequate in any of the key questions. Therefore, this service is no longer in Special Measures.

Why we inspected

We carried out an unannounced focused inspection of this service on 17 May 2022. Breaches of legal requirements were found. The provider completed an action plan after the inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve safe care and treatment, fit and proper persons employed and good governance.

We undertook this focused inspection to check they had followed their action plan and to confirm they now met legal requirements. This report only covers our findings in relation to the Key Questions safe, effective and well-led which contain those requirements. For those key questions not inspected, we used the ratings awarded at the last comprehensive inspection to calculate the overall rating. The overall rating for the service has changed from requires improvement to good. This is based on the findings at this inspection.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Beechwood Lodge 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.

17 May 2022

During an inspection looking at part of the service

About the service

Beechwood Lodge is a residential care home providing accommodation and personal care for up to 66 people. There were 61 people living in the home at the time of the inspection. The home has four distinct areas know as Oak, Maple, Holly and Willow. People living with dementia were provided with care and support in the Oak and Maple areas of the home. The building was purpose built and set in a residential area.

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

People told us they felt safe living in the home, and they were happy with the service provided. Staff understood how to protect people from harm or discrimination and had access to safeguarding adults’ procedures. There were sufficient numbers of staff deployed to meet people's needs and ensure their safety. We found shortfalls in the recruitment of new staff. The home had a satisfactory standard of cleanliness and staff had completed training on the prevention and control of infection. However, staff were not always using personal protective equipment appropriately.

Individual risks had been assessed and recorded, however, we observed one incident when staff did not adhere to the risk management strategies. We also noted the potential risks posed by the storage of toiletries and prescribed creams in people’s ensuite shower rooms had not been considered. The management of medicines was not always safe.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. There was detailed information about any restrictions on people’s liberties. People’s needs were assessed prior to them using the service.

People were provided with a balanced diet and support to eat and drink. Whilst there were systems to monitor people’s food and fluid intake where necessary, staff had not always taken action when a low level of fluid had been recorded.

The provider had appropriate arrangements to ensure staff received training relevant to their role. However, there were no induction training records seen for two members of staff. We made a recommendation in respect of this issue.

People were happy with the way the service was managed and staff told us they enjoyed working at the home. The registered manager had carried out a series of audits, however, most of the audits comprised of a short comment with no actions identified. There was no evidence seen of what checks had been carried out in relation to the audits. There was no evidence seen of provider audits. People had not had the opportunity to complete a satisfaction survey and there was no evidence seen of residents’ meetings during 2022.

Following the inspection, the provider sent us an action plan which set out their response to the findings of the inspection. We will check any improvements to the service on our next inspection of the home.

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

Rating at last inspection and update

The last rating for this service was requires improvement (published 4 February 2020) and there were breaches of regulation. The service remains rated requires improvement. This service has been rated requires improvement for the last six consecutive inspections.

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 some improvements, however, the provider remained in breach of the regulations.

Why we inspected

A comprehensive inspection was carried out on 2, 4 and 19 October 2019. Breaches of legal requirements were found, and we issued three requirement notices and a warning notice. This inspection was carried out to follow up on action we told the provider to take at the last inspection and to check whether the provider had met the requirements of the warning and requirement notices.

For those key questions not inspected, we used the ratings awarded at the last inspection to calculate the overall rating. We have found evidence that the provider needs to make improvements. Please see the safe, effective and well-led sections of the full report.

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.

During this inspection, we also carried out a separate thematic probe, which asked questions of the provider, people and their relatives, about the quality of oral health care support and access to dentists, for people living in the care home. This was to follow up on the findings and recommendations from our national report on oral healthcare in care homes that was published in 2019 called ‘Smiling Matters’. We will publish a follow up report to the 2019 'Smiling Matters' report, with up to date findings and recommendations about oral health, in due course.”

You can see what action we have asked the provider to take at the end of this full report.

Enforcement and recommendations

We are mindful of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our regulatory function. This meant we took account of the exceptional circumstances arising as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic when considering what enforcement action was necessary and proportionate to keep people safe as a result of this inspection. We will continue to monitor the service and will take further action if needed.

We have identified breaches in relation to the management of medicines, the recruitment of new staff and the governance arrangements.

Please see the action we have told the provider to take at the end of this report.

Follow up

We will request an action plan from the provider to understand what they will do to improve the standards of quality and safety. We will work alongside the provider and local authority to monitor progress. We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.

The overall rating for this service is ‘Requires improvement’. However, we are placing the service in 'special measures'. We do this when services have been rated as 'Inadequate' in any Key Question over two consecutive comprehensive inspections. The ‘Inadequate’ rating does not need to be in the same question at each of these inspections for us to place services in special measures. This means we will keep the service under review and, if we do not propose to cancel the provider’s registration, we will re-inspect within 6 months to check for significant improvements.

If the provider has not made enough improvement within this timeframe. And there is still a rating of inadequate for any key question or overall, we will take action in line with our enforcement procedures. This will mean we will begin the process of preventing the provider from operating this service. This will usually lead to cancellation of their registration or to varying the conditions the registration.

For adult social care services, the maximum time for being in special measures will usually be no more than 12 months. If the service has demonstrated improvements when we inspect it and it is no longer rated as inadequate for any of the five key questions it will no longer be in special measures.

2 October 2019

During a routine inspection

About the service

Beechwood Lodge is a residential care home providing personal and nursing care to 64 people aged 65 and over at the time of the inspection. The service can support up to 66 people.

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

At this inspection we identified three breaches of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities), Regulations 2014. These related to Good Governance, Safeguarding and Staffing. There was also a breach of the Care Quality Commission (Registration) Regulations 2009, as the service had failed to notify us of significant events. We also made a recommendation around mental capacity.

Staff had received some training and supervision, but this was not always enough to meet the needs of the people who lived at Beechwood Lodge. We observed poor moving and handling techniques, and staff understanding of safeguarding and mental capacity act was poor.

Opportunities to minimise risk and learn from untoward events were missed. Where incidents occurred, we found that there were no proactive attempts to understand the factors and causal links which might assist the service to understand and take steps to prevent further occurrences. Moreover, these incidents had not always been reported to the relevant authorities.

People told us that they felt safe and were supported by kind and caring staff. One person told us, “The staff are fantastic. Top notch.” Medicines were well managed and there were sufficient staff working at the home, but we were told sometimes there was a reliance on bank staff to cover sickness and annual leave. Staff were vigilant to health needs and people had access to GPs and nurses. They were supported to attend hospital visits when family members were unable to go with them.

The home was clean and well maintained providing a pleasant environment. Staff paid attention to people’s dietary needs. At lunch we saw meals were well presented. People told us they were offered choice and enjoyed the food on offer.

Staff treated people with dignity, respect, care and kindness and knew people well. We observed and overheard positive and caring interactions between staff and people who lived in the home. Staff spoke with people in a friendly and patient manner.

Detailed care plans were person-centred. They addressed individual needs and identified people’s background, cultural needs and interests. There was a range of activities on offer. People were supported to pursue their hobbies.

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.

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 24 October 2018). The service remains rated requires improvement. This service has been rated requires improvement for the last four consecutive inspections.

Why we inspected

The inspection was prompted in part due to concerns received about the high number of falls occurring at the service. We decided to inspect and examine those risks. We have found evidence that the provider needs to make improvements. Please see the effective and well led sections of this full report. You can see what action we have asked the provider to take at the end of this full report.

Enforcement

We have identified breaches in relation to safeguarding people from abuse, Staff support and training, and poor overall management of the service. Some action we have told the provider to take is noted at the back of the full report. Full information about the CQC’s regulatory response to the more serious concerns found during inspections is added to reports after any representations and appeals have been concluded.

Follow up

We will meet with the provider following this report being published to discuss how they will make changes to ensure they improve their rating to at least good. We will work with the local authority to monitor progress. We will return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.

15 October 2018

During a routine inspection

Beechwood Lodge is a care home registered to provide personal care and accommodation to 66 older people including people living with dementia. The service has four units; two on each of the two floors. All bedrooms had an ensuite shower and toilet. Two larger rooms were shared rooms, to accommodate couples. All other rooms were single. When we inspected the service there were 62 people living at Beechwood Lodge.

The service had a registered manager in place at the time of our inspection. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) 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.

We last inspected Beechwood Lodge in October 2017. At that inspection we found breaches of the Health and Social Care Act relating to the deployment of staff and insufficient information provided in people’s care records. The service was rated Requires Improvement. A previous inspection of Beechwood Lodge in January 2017 had also identified breaches and was rated Requires Improvement.

After the last inspection the service sent us an action plan detailing how they would address the issues we raised with them. During this inspection we checked to see how they had progressed. We found that improvements had been made to deploy staff more effectively and to ensure records were accurate and up to date. However, we found further concerns, and identified a breach of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. This related to regulation 17; good governance, as systems to manage the service were sometimes ineffective, and quality assurance systems were not consistently applied. You can see what action we told the provider to take at the back of the full version of this report.

The building was secure, and when we spoke with people who used the service they told us they felt safe. The environment was well maintained, and the staff we spoke with understood how to identify any safeguarding concerns and how to report them. Environmental safety checks were undertaken, and whilst maintenance records were up to date system systems to ensure checks were undertaken in a timely fashion were not kept, leading to a risk that certificates may lapse.

There were appropriate staffing levels across the service and staff were effectively deployed on each unit. Recruitment was safe but we found that recruitment records were incorrectly filed.

We saw that there were systems in place to monitor and manage medicines, and the home was clean. Systems to minimise the spread of infections ensured staff were diligent and maintained a good level of infection control. During our inspection new carpets were being laid with plans to re-carpet all communal areas.

When we spoke with people they told us that the staff knew them well and knew how to meet their needs. Staff were kind and caring, showed knowledge of the people they supported, and people appeared well cared for. Their privacy and dignity was respected. They told us that staff attended to their health needs and responded quickly when they became ill.

We saw plans were in place to support people at the end of their lives, and staff we spoke with demonstrated good knowledge and understanding of people’s needs as they approached death. Further training had been arranged to improve their knowledge and we saw that the service liaised well with other professionals to ensure people were given the right support at this time in their lives.

Care plans provided sufficient information about people’s needs and how to meet them. Daily records and notes showed good monitoring of people’s daily routines and choices. However, reviews of care plans sometimes overlooked changes in people’s circumstances. Similarly, risks were sometimes overlooked, or where a risk had been identified this had not been assessed.

We saw the level of activities for people who used the service had improved since our last inspection, and people told us that they felt there was enough for them to do. We saw staff engaged well and spent time in conversation with individuals or small groups.

We saw that where complaints had been made the registered manager responded appropriately. The number of complaints was outweighed by compliments received.

We found the overall monitoring of the service was inconsistent. For example there was no evaluation of falls which might have indicated where and when incidents were occurring. Information which would help to improve the quality of people’s lives was not used effectively.

People who used the service and their relatives were given the opportunity to comment on their care provision. The response from surveys and questionnaires was mostly positive. Where there had been negative comments, we saw evidence that some action had been taken to improve the delivery of care.

5 October 2017

During a routine inspection

Beechwood Lodge is registered to provide personal care and accommodation for up to 66 older people including people with a dementia. The service had four separate units; two on each floor. It is located in the Norden area of Rochdale and is close to local amenities. When we inspected there were 65 people using the service. All bedrooms had an ensuite bathroom.

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 a legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

This inspection was brought forward following concerns raised about the safety and welfare of the people who lived at Beechwood Lodge. The service was inspected in February 2016 and January 2017. At both inspections it was rated Requires Improvement. At the last inspection we identified two breaches of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 and one breach of the Care Quality Commission (Registration) Regulations 2009. This was because medicines were not managed effectively, the service did not record and monitor complaints effectively and the service had failed to make all the required notifications to the CQC. The service had produced an action plan and at this inspection we found improvements had been made in these areas.

However, we identified concerns in other areas. We identified two breaches of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. These related to the deployment of staff and insufficient information to guide staff in care records. You can see what action we told the provider to take at the back of the full version of this report. We also made two recommendations regarding activities and systems to maintain records.

People told us they felt safe and secure at Beechwood Lodge. Precautions were in place to ensure the security of the premises. There were robust systems in place to ensure that when staff were recruited they had the right character to work with vulnerable people, and the staff we spoke with demonstrated a good knowledge of safeguarding and whistleblowing procedures. We observed good interactions between staff and people who used the service, including good and patient support when helping people with mobility.

When we inspected Beechwood Lodge there were twelve care staff on duty , and this number was reflected in the staff rotas we reviewed. However, the layout of the building meant that staff could be away from communal areas whilst they were supporting people with personal care needs. Staff had access to regular training, but when we looked at the induction process we saw that the records did not reflect how new staff were monitored and supervised during their probation period.

We looked around the home and found the communal areas, toilets and bedrooms were clean and free from offensive odours. There was a good standard of hygiene and the home had been awarded a 5 star Food Hygiene rating, the highest available. The home was spacious, well decorated and bright. Furnishing were modern and in very good condition. There was a stained carpet in one area and the manager told us that an order for a new carpet had already been placed.

Staff we spoke with were able to demonstrate a good understanding of mental capacity and consent issues, and where people were unable to consent to care and treatment at Beechwood Lodge the service had sought appropriate authorisation to provide support.

People told us the staff were caring and friendly, and we observed good interactions between staff and people who used the service. One person told us, “They don’t force themselves on us, but they are there when we need them. All the staff are good and kind”.

Whilst the service employed an activity co-ordinator, we found that some people did not enjoy the activities on offer and did not receive sufficient stimulation.

We found some inconsistencies in care plans, particularly around behavioural issues, but relatives told us that they had been consulted in planning care, and were informed of any changes in need.

The registered manager audited aspects of the service to ensure standards were maintained. In addition, the area manager completed a yearly audit, which included analysis of safety and suitability of equipment, complaints and record keeping. There were sufficient audits to show how the service managed the control of quality at the care home, but some systems of maintaining up to date records were confusing and haphazard, and did not reflect activity. For example, records to show how many Deprivation of Liberty Safeguarding authorisations had been made.

18 January 2017

During a routine inspection

Beechwood Lodge is a large detached property in its own grounds. Accommodation is provided over two floors and divided into four separate suites. The upper floor can be accessed via a passenger lift. The service provides accommodation and personal care for up to 66 older people, some of whom are living with dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 63 people living at the home. This was an unannounced inspection which took place on the 18 and 20 January 2017. The inspection was undertaken by two adult social care inspectors, a pharmacist inspector and an expert by experience.

The service was last inspected in February 2016. During that inspection we found three breaches of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) regulations 2014. This resulted in us making three requirement actions for; medicines not being managed effectively, recruitment procedures were not robust enough to ensure people were protected from unsuitable staff and staff had not received all the induction, training and supervisions necessary to enable them to carry out their duties effectively. Following the inspection the provider wrote to us to tell us what action they intended to take to ensure they met all the relevant regulations. During this inspection we checked if the required improvements had been made. We found that improvements had been made and two of the requirement actions had been met.

However during this inspection we found two breaches of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 and one breach of Care Quality Commission (Registration) Regulations 2009. This was because medicines were not managed effectively, the service did not record and monitor complaints effectively and the service had failed to make all the required notifications to CQC.

You can see what action we have told the provider to take at the back of the full version of the report.

Staff had received appropriate training in the safe handling of medicines and had regular assessments of their competency. We found that protocols were not always in place to guide staff on administration of as required medicines and staff did not always record when these had been administered. Routine checks of stocks of some medicines were not carried out. Records were incomplete and body maps were not always completed to guide care staff when and how to apply topical creams. One person had not received their pain relief as prescribed.

We saw evidence that complaints had been responded to, but the service did not operate an effective system for recording and monitoring complaints.

The service had not notified CQC of all events they are required to. They had notified CQC of safeguarding concerns, serious incidents and events but had not notified CQC when DoLS authorisations were authorised.

The service is required to have a registered manager in place. There was a registered manager in place at Beechwood Lodge. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the CQC 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. The registered manager was present during this inspection. Most people were positive about the registered manager, the service and the way it was managed.

The home was very clean, tidy, brightly decorated, well maintained and well furnished.

People told us they felt safe living at Beechwood Lodge. Staff had received training in safeguarding adults. They were aware of the correct action to take if they witnessed or suspected any abuse. Staff were aware of the whistleblowing (reporting poor practice) policy in place in the service. Staff were confident the registered manager or the provider would deal with any issues they raised.

Recruitment procedures were in place which ensured staff had been safely recruited. There were sufficient staff to meet people’s needs. Staff received the training, support and supervision they needed to carry out their roles effectively.

We saw that appropriate arrangements were in place to assess whether people were able to consent to their care and treatment. The registered manager was meeting their responsibility under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) to ensure that people's rights were considered and protected.

People’s support needs were assessed before they moved into Beechwood Lodge. We found care records were detailed; person centred and also included information about people’s daily living skills, routines and preferences. Risk assessments were in place for people who used the service and staff. They described potential risks and the safeguards in place. Care records had been reviewed regularly and had been updated when people’s support needs had changed.

People had their health needs met and had access to a range of health care professionals and records were kept of any visits or appointments along with any action required. People at risk of poor nutrition and hydration had their needs regularly assessed and monitored. People told us the food was good.

All the people we spoke with were positive about the staff and the caring nature of the support provided. People told us staff were gentle, friendly, cheerful and listened to them. We found the atmosphere in the home to be relaxed and friendly. The service placed great importance on maintaining and promoting peoples dignity. We observed that people were well presented. The registered manager and staff were caring and responsive with people who used the service and their visitors. Staff were patient and spent time with people.They all knew people well.

Accidents and incidents were appropriately recorded. Risk assessments were in place for the general environment. Appropriate health and safety checks had been carried out and equipment was maintained and serviced appropriately. The service had an infection control policy; this gave staff guidance on preventing, detecting and controlling the spread of infection and staff received training in infection prevention and control. Staff had access to and wore personal protective equipment when undertaking person care tasks.

There were a range of activities and social events on offer in the home and community to reduce people’s social isolation and promote their well- being. Individual activities were also offered to people who didn’t want to join in group activities. People were very positive about the activity coordinator and told us they enjoyed the activities on offer.

Systems were in place to monitor the quality of the service but they were not all robust enough. We have recommended the service reviews its monitoring and auditing systems to ensure they are sufficiently robust.

All the staff told us they enjoyed working at Beechwood Lodge. They were very positive about the registered manager, the support they got from her and the way she ran the service.

The CQC rating and report from the last inspection was displayed in the entrance hall and on the providers website.

11 February 2016

During a routine inspection

This was an unannounced inspection, which took place on 11 and 12 February 2016. We had previously inspected this service in May 2015. We identified one breach of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. These related to failure to manage medicines safely. This resulted in us making one requirement action. Following the inspection in May 2015 the provider wrote to us to tell us the action they intended to take to ensure the regulation was met.

At this inspection we found that improvements had been made. However, we found three breaches of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. This was because medicines such as eye drops and creams were not always dated on opening. This is necessary to ensure medicines remain effective. There was one month when there was no record of audits to ensure that people who used the service were receiving their medicines. There were not robust recruitment procedures in place and staff did not always receive the induction, training and support they needed to carry out their roles effectively.

You can see what action we have told the provider to take at the back of the full version of the report.

Beechwood Lodge is a purpose built service, which is registered to accommodate up to 64 people who have personal care needs. The service is divided into four units on two floors. At the time of our inspection there were 62 people living at Beechwood Lodge.

Systems for recruitment of staff were not always safe. In two staff files we found gaps in staff previous employment history had been identified, but there was not a written explanation of the reason, as required by law. This meant people were at risk of being cared for by unsuitable staff. Staff felt supported but we found three instances of newly employed staff not being given the formal induction needed to carry out their roles effectively, although the manager told us they had shadowed an experienced member of staff for two weeks.

People received their medicines as prescribed. Since our last inspection improvements had been made in the way medicines were managed. We saw medicines management policies and procedures were in place to guide staff on the storage and administration of medicines. We found that protocols were in place to guide staff on administration of “as required” medicines.

People told us they felt safe at Beechwood Lodge. Policies and procedures were in place to safeguard people from abuse and staff had received training in safeguarding adults. Staff were able to tell us how to identify and respond to allegations of abuse. They were also aware of the responsibility to ‘whistle blow’ on colleagues who they thought might be delivering poor practice to people.

The service did not have a registered manager. The current manager was in the process of applying to the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to become registered. A service cannot be judged as good in well-led if there is no manager registered with the CQC. 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. A new manager had been in post since December 2015.

During our inspection, we observed that call bells and requests for assistance were answered promptly and there were sufficient staff to meet people’s needs. Staffing levels had recently been increased. Despite this increase in staffing provision some people we spoke with thought that at times there were not enough staff available to support people promptly. The service did not have a formal system in place for assessing staffing levels.

People told us the staff were caring, kind and that they were well cared for. During the inspection we found the manager and staff to be caring and responsive to people and to know people well.

People’s rights and choices were respected. We found the provider was meeting the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act (2005) and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). These provider legal safeguards for people who may be unable to make their own decisions.

People who used the service told us food was good. We saw systems were in place to monitor people’s nutritional needs. People had access to a range of health care professional to ensure their health needs were met.

Care plans and risk assessments were detailed and contained good information about the care and support people required. A keyworker system had been introduced to improve involvement and communication with people and their relatives.

We looked around the home and found the communal areas, toilets and bedrooms were clean and free from offensive odours. The home was spacious, well decorated and bright. Furnishing were modern and in very good condition. Equipment was appropriately maintained and systems were in place to ensure health and safety checks were completed. There were procedures in place to guide staff in the event of an emergency that could affect the provision of care, such as loss of gas, electricity, heating or breakdown of essential equipment. Procedures were in place to prevent and control the spread of infection.

The service had employed an activities coordinator and a range of activities had recently been introduced to the home which people enjoyed.

The manager had introduced a system for gathering and acting upon people’s views and suggestions about the service and how it could be improved. Systems had recently been put in place for assessing, monitoring and reviewing the service.

People spoke positively about the manager and the improvements that had been made since the

Manager had started at the home. Staff were very positive about the manager and told us they liked working at the home and said the manager was approachable and supportive.

12 May 2015

During a routine inspection

Beechwood Lodge is registered to provide personal care and accommodation for up to 64 older people including people with a dementia. It is located in the Norden area of Rochdale. This was the first inspection since the home was registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). The inspection was an unannounced inspection and took place on 12 May 2015. There were 34 people living in the service at the time of our inspection.

The home had a registered manager in post. 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.

Safeguarding procedures were robust and members of staff understood their role in safeguarding vulnerable people from harm. Staff said they would report poor practice and felt confident that the registered manager would take appropriate action. We found that recruitment procedures were thorough and protected people from the employment of unsuitable staff.

We saw that the systems in place for the management of medicines did not properly protect people who used the service. Care plans lacked guidance for staff to follow about when people should be given medicines prescribed to be taken ‘when required.’

The home was clean and appropriate procedures were in place for the prevention and control of infection.

Members of staff employed at the home had previous experience of caring for older people. Records kept by the registered manager identified when each member of staff required further training in order to ensure they were kept up to date with current practice.

Members of staff had been trained in the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) so they knew when an application should be made and how to submit one.

People were offered a choice of menu at mealtimes. We saw that hot and cold drinks and snacks including fresh fruit were available throughout the day. People were registered with a GP and had access to a full range of other health and social care professionals.

Throughout the inspection we saw that members of staff were respectful and spoke to people who used the service in a courteous and friendly manner.

People who used the service told us they liked living at the home and received the care and support they needed.

People were supported by staff to make decisions about their care and daily routine. Leisure activities were also organised at the home including bingo and pamper days.

A copy of the complaint’s procedure was displayed in the home and included in the service user guide. There had not been any complaints made to the CQC or the local authority since the home was registered.

Members of staff told us they liked working at the home and found the registered manager approachable and supportive.

We saw that systems were in place for the registered manager to monitor the quality and safety of the care provided.

We found there were systems in place for assessing and monitoring the quality of the service provided.