Beaumont Manor

Updated 8 August 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.

The inspection took place on 26 June 2018. The inspection team consisted of an inspector, a specialist advisor, and an expert by experience. A specialist adviser is a person with professional expertise in care and nursing. An expert by experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Prior to our inspection we reviewed the information we held about the service, including previous inspection reports. We contacted the local authority to obtain their views about the care provided. We considered the information which had been shared with us by the local authority and other people, looked at safeguarding notifications which had been submitted. A notification is information about important events which the provider is required to tell us about by law. We reviewed the Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form in which we ask the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.

Whilst some people were able to talk to us, others could not. During our inspection we observed how the staff interacted with people and we spent time observing the support and care provided to help us understand their experiences of living in the service. We observed care and support in the communal areas, the midday meal, and we looked around the service. Some people were able to talk with us about the service they received but others could not. We used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI). SOFI is a way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us.

During the inspection we reviewed the records at the service. These included staff files which contained staff recruitment, training and supervision records. Also, medicine records, complaints, accidents and incidents, quality audits and policies and procedures along with information in regard to the upkeep of the premises.

We looked at five people's care documentation along with other relevant records to support our findings. We also 'pathway tracked' people living at the service. This is when we looked at their care documentation in depth and obtained information about their care and treatment at the home. It is an important part of our inspection, as it allowed us to capture information about a sample of people receiving care.

During the inspection we spoke with six people, five relatives/visitors, four care staff, the training coordinator, one registered nurse and the clinical lead nurse, additionally we spoke with the manager, the administrator and two visiting healthcare professionals. We observed the care which was delivered in communal areas to get a view of the care and support provided. The inspection team also spent time sitting and observing people in areas throughout the service and were able to see the interaction between people and staff. This helped us understand the experience of people who did not wish to or could not talk with us.

Updated 8 August 2018

Beaumont Manor is a 'care home'. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and personal care as a single package under a contractual agreement with the local authority, health authority or the individual, if privately funded. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Beaumont Manor is registered to accommodate up to 82 people, including people who live with dementia or a dementia related condition, in one purpose built building in its own grounds. There are also flats on the same grounds however we were told these were not being used and currently the maximum people that could be accommodated in the main building was 71. The premises is set out on two main floors with each person using the service having their own individual bedroom and adequate communal facilities are available for people to make use of within the service. The building contains units for residential (ground floor) and nursing service users (first floor). At the time of our inspection there were 23 people using the service, 14 people receiving nursing care and 9 people receiving residential care. Beaumont Manor is a large detached property situated on the outskirts of Kirby le Soken, near Clacton on Sea.

This service has not yet been formally rated as it was registered in April 2017. At this inspection, which was the first for the service we found the service was 'Good'.

People and relatives told us the service was well-managed and provided a high standard of care. They said they had confidence in the registered manager who was approachable and helpful. They told us the care and nursing staff were kind, thoughtful and caring. There was an established staff team and staff turnover was low with some staff having worked at the service for a while. This meant staff had the opportunity to get to know the people they supported well.

All the staff we spoke with were knowledgeable about the people at the service, their personalities, and what was important to them. People were encouraged to make choices about all aspects of their care and support including getting up and going to bed times, activities, personal care routines, and menu choices. Staff consulted with people and their relatives about how they wanted their care provided and ensured this was recorded in people's care plans.

Staff knew how to keep people safe. They managed risk well by providing good quality and consistent care. The service was well-staffed. During our inspection visit call bells were answered promptly and if people needed support they didn't have to wait for long.

People had their medicines on time. Staff met people's healthcare needs promptly and effectively and knew when to call in a doctor if they were concerned about a person's well-being. Staff were well-trained and had the skills and knowledge they needed to provide effective care. They understood the importance of obtaining people's consent before carrying out care tasks and how to make decisions in their best interests where necessary.

People said the food served was good quality and the menu varied giving them plenty of choice. During our inspection visit we spent time in the dining room with some people who were having their meals. There was a leisurely atmosphere. Staff asked people what they wanted and brought it to them promptly. A relative told us mealtimes were flexible as people preferred this.

People had the opportunity to take part in group and one-to-one activities. People and relatives also had the opportunity to comment on the service through completing surveys and attending meetings where activities, menus, and complaints were discussed and those present were asked for their views and suggestions.

During the course of our inspection visit we saw the registered manager continually interacting with people and checking the quality of their care. People told us they would feel confident in raising concerns and complaints, and we saw there were processes in place to ensure these were responded to appropriately. Feedback about leadership in the home was good, and we saw there was a robust approach to measuring, monitoring and improving quality in the service which took the views, opinions and diverse needs of people and staff into account.