Archived: Beech Lodge - Thames Ditton

Updated 2 April 2021

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 coronavirus pandemic we are looking at the preparedness of care homes in relation to infection prevention and control. This was a targeted inspection looking at the infection control and prevention measures the provider has in place.

This inspection took place on 19 March 2021 and was announced.

Updated 2 April 2021

About the service:

Beech Lodge is a registered care home in a detached property with people’s rooms spread across two floors. The home supports adults with a variety of conditions such as learning disabilities, autistic spectrum disorders and mental health conditions. The home can accommodate up to nine people and there were nine people living at the home at the time of our inspection.

People's experience of using this service:

People were kept safe and supported by consistent staff who knew them and their needs well. Staff communicated effectively with each other about people's needs.

People were provided with a variety of opportunities to go on outings and take part in activities. This included in-house activities, day centres and group outings to encourage socialising and getting to know people.

The principles and values of Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance ensure people with a learning disability and or autism who use a service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the

best outcomes that include control, choice and independence. At this inspection the provider had ensured they were applied. People's support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible for them to gain new skills and become more independent.

There were enough staff to meet people's needs and keep them safe. The provider's recruitment procedures helped ensure only suitable staff were employed. Staff had the induction, training and the support they needed to carry out their roles effectively. They understood their roles in keeping people safe from abuse and felt able to speak up to management and the local safeguarding team about any concerns they had.

Potential risks to people had been assessed and measures put in place to mitigate these. If accidents or incidents occurred, staff took action to reduce the risk of similar incidents happening again. Medicines were managed safely and staff maintained appropriate standards of hygiene and infection control. Staff supported people to maintain good health and worked effectively with professionals involved in their care.

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. Staff were kind and treated people with dignity and respect whilst also promoting and supporting their independence. People and relatives gave positive feedback about staff and the relationships staff have developed with people using the service.

The management of the service was effective. Although the service did not have a registered manager at the time of our inspection, there was a manager in place who was in the process of registering with the Commission. The manager had been involved with the provider for 15 years so had a good knowledge and understanding of the people that lived at Beech Lodge. The manager also knew staff well and had a positive attitude towards making improvements in people’s lives. For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection and update:

At the last inspection the service was rated Good. The report of this inspection was published on 31 January 2017.

Why we inspected:

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up:

We will continue to monitor intelligence we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our reinspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.