Beechcroft - Cheltenham

Updated 15 May 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 was planned to check 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 was a comprehensive and routine inspection which took place on 18 December 2017 at Beechcroft. On 9 January 2018 we visited the regional office of the provider to meet representatives of the provider. This inspection was carried out by one inspector. At the time of the inspection there were three people living at Beechcroft.

We requested and reviewed a Provider Information Return (PIR) for Beechcroft prior to this inspection. 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 reviewed the information we held about the service which included notifications about important events which the service is required to send us by law. We received feedback from two healthcare professionals or commissioners about the service.

We met all three people living at Beechcroft, however none of them were able to speak with us about their life in detail due to their individual needs and disabilities. We spoke with two people’s relatives. We used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI). SOFI is a specific way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us. We spoke with three social care workers, the registered manager and an assistant regional director for the provider. We reviewed all three people's care records and associated files. We also reviewed staff training and recruitment records and records relating to the general management of the service. We visited the provider’s regional office on the 9 January 2018 to meet with representatives of the provider and review quality assurance and governance systems the provider used.

Updated 15 May 2018

We inspected Beechcroft -Cheltenham on 18 December 2017 and visited the provider's regional office on 9 January 2018. Beechcroft provides accommodation and personal care to four people who had a learning disability or were on the autistic spectrum. At the time of our inspection three people were living in the home. Beechcroft is situated near the centre of Cheltenham close to a range of amenities, with good connections to the town centre. The home has a garden people can access, including an activity shed. People were assisted by social care workers with their day to day needs and a range of activities.

This was the first inspection under the current provider registration which started in October 2016. Previously the service was inspected under a previous provider name in May 2015 and was rated as “Good”. While the provider name had changed the service and its staff had remained the same.

There was a registered manager in post. 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.

The care service has been developed and designed in line with the values that underpin the Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These values include choice, promotion of independence and inclusion. People with learning disabilities and autism using the service can live as ordinary a life as any citizen.

People were safe and were supported to live as full and as active life as possible. People living at Beechcroft were protected from the risks associated with their care. Social care workers supported people to access the community and develop their personal skills. Social care workers supported people with their medical and health care needs. There were enough staff so that people could undertake the activities they wished and be supported in meeting their individual needs.

People’s care plans were tailored to their individual needs. Their social care workers knew people well and knew how to support them with their goals. People's achievements were documented and celebrated. The registered manager and staff looked for opportunities to offer people that would help them grow, gain confidence and live a fulfilled life.

Social care workers were well supported and had the benefit of a training programme which enabled them to have the skills to ensure they could provide people with the best possible care and support. Social care workers understood and worked to the values of the registered manager and the provider and put people at the heart of everything they did. Staff were supported to develop professionally through dedicated management training programmes.

The service had a strong leadership presence. They were committed and passionate about the people they supported and were constantly looking for ways to improve. The home and the registered manager had significant support and guidance from the provider. Thorough and frequent quality assurance processes and audits ensured that all care and support was delivered in the safest and most effective way possible.