Baytrees

Updated 29 March 2022

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.

As part of CQC’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic we are looking at how services manage infection control and visiting arrangements. This was a targeted inspection looking at the infection prevention and control measures the provider had in place. We also asked the provider about any staffing pressures the service was experiencing and whether this was having an impact on the service.

This inspection took place on 24 February 2021 and was announced. We gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection.

Updated 29 March 2022

This inspection took place on 2 July 2018 and was unannounced.

Baytrees is a 'care home'. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Baytrees accommodates up to four people with learning disabilities in one adapted building. There were four people at the service at the time of inspection.

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.

At our last inspection, we rated the service good. At this inspection, we found the evidence continued to support the rating of good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

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 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 had a sound understanding of people’s needs and regularly worked alongside staff to offer support and guidance. People’s relatives told us that the registered manager was friendly, approachable and kept them updated about their family members’ health and wellbeing. There were systems in place to gain feedback about the service and deal with complaints. People’s families expressed confidence in the registered manager’s ability to handle concerns appropriately.

The registered manager carried out a series of audits and quality assurance checks to monitor the quality and safety of the service. They had demonstrated that they were able to implement recommendations from external health and safety professionals, which helped maintain a safe environment.

Some people had complex health needs which required ongoing input from health professionals. The provider took on board recommendations and ensured that people were supported to have their health regularly monitored.

People were provided with a diet appropriate to their needs. Where people had specific requirements, staff made the arrangements to ensure this was accommodated.

Risks to people in relation to their anxiety and behaviour were assessed, monitored and mitigated. Staff were skilled in adopting a wide range of strategies to de-escalate potentially challenging situations without the need for physical intervention.

When incidents took place, the registered manager looked for trends and lesson that could be learnt to reduce the risk of reoccurrence.

Staff had received training and support to help ensure they were effective in their role. Staff knew people’s needs well and were caring and patient in their approach.

People’s needs in relation to communication were fully assessed and staff were skilled in implementing personalised strategies. This meant people had choice and a level of control around their daily routines and activities. Where people had needs in relation to their environment, the provider made adaptations accordingly to help the home remain a safe and comfortable place to live.

People were treated with dignity and respect. Where people liked their privacy, this was clearly understood by staff. People’s preferred personal care routines were documented in their care plans, which people and their relatives contributed towards developing.

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.

The provider had signed up to a NHS England led initiative to help ensure people were not overmedicated. There were examples where the provider had worked in partnership with people, health professionals and families to reduce the need for people to take medicines prescribed in relation to anxiety and behaviour.

There were sufficient numbers of suitably skilled and qualified staff in place. The provider had recruitment processes in place to identify suitable candidates for the role.

The home was a clean and hygienic environment and there were systems in place to prevent the risk of infections spreading.