This was an unannounced inspection undertaken on the 10 and 11 March 2015.
The service was last inspected on the December 2013 and found to be compliant the regulations looked at.
Beech lawn is registered with the Care Quality Commission to provide care and accommodation to 28 older people who may have dementia. It is located on the outskirts of Hull and has good access to public transport routes to and from the city.
At the time of the inspection there were 19 people living at the service.
There was a registered manager in post. 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 a legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.
Staff had a good understanding of their duty to keep people safe from harm. They could recognise the signs of abuse and knew how to report this. They had received training about how to recognise and report abuse.
People’s medicines were handled, stored and administered safely by staff who had received the appropriate training.
Staff were provided in enough numbers to meet the needs of the people who used the service, the registered provider constantly monitored the staffing levels based on people’s needs and increased these when required. Staff were recruited safely and the registered provider had systems in place which ensued the right checks were done before the member of staff started working at the service. The registered manager made sure the environment was safe and repairs were undertaken promptly.
People’s human rights were protected by staff who had received training in the Mental Capacity Act 2005. People were cared for by staff who had been trained to meet their needs. Staff were supported to gain further qualifications and experience. The food provided was wholesome and nutritious and people’s weights were monitored when required, if people needed more support with their diet staff made referrals to health care professionals. People could access their GP when they needed to and staff monitored people’s health and wellbeing and supported them to lead a healthy lifestyle.
People were cared for by staff who had a good knowledge of their needs and how these should be met, they also had good relationships with the staff, who spent a lot of time with them. People’s choices were respected and they were supported to lead a lifestyle of their own choosing. People or their relatives were involved with the care and had a say about how they should be supported by the staff. Staff could refer to information to help effectively meet the needs of the people who used the service. Staff were caring in their approach, spoke to people respectfully and respected their wishes.
People lived in a well maintained and clean environment and there were no mal odours; however, the environment could be more dementia friendly, we have made a recommendation about this in the full report.
People could have a say about how the service was run; their opinions and suggestions were taken seriously. People could raise complaints and the registered provider had systems in place which addressed and investigated the complaint whenever possible to the complainant’s satisfaction.
The registered manager collated people’s views and those of relatives and health care professionals who had an interest in people’s wellbeing and set goals and action plans to address any short falls. The registered manager was available for people to talk to if they had any concerns. The registered manager undertook audits of the service provided which ensured people received a service which was safe and well run.