28 February 2017
During a routine inspection
Beech Court Care Centre is registered to provide accommodation, nursing care and personal care to a maximum of 50 people on three separate communities: Rosebud supports 20 people with nursing needs, Primrose supports 20 people some of whom may be living with dementia whilst Marigold supports up to 10 young people with disabilities. There is a garden area, a sensory room and communal areas on each community.
On the day of our visit a registered manager was in place. 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.
People told us they felt safe living at Beech Court Care Centre. They were treated with dignity and respect by staff who understood their needs.
Staff were aware of how to recognise and report any allegations of abuse and had attended safeguarding adults training.
There were systems in place to ensure risks were assessed and steps taken to mitigate the identified risks. Incidents and accidents were managed safely with clear actions taken to reduce the likelihood of the same incidents occurring.
Medicines were managed safely with the exception of covert medicine instructions. These were undergoing review by the pharmacist to ensure there were clear and specific for each medicine administered covertly.
Maintenance checks were completed in order to keep the premises safe. Staff were aware of the procedures to follow in the event of a fire or a medical emergency in order to reduce the risk of avoidable harm.
People and their relatives thought there were enough staff to support them with the exception of Marigold unit where they felt staff were rushed at times. Staffing rotas confirmed staffing was adjusted as and when needed in response to people’s dependencies as well as other care related issues such as GP review rounds.
Staff received annual appraisals, regular supervision and attended meetings to ensure they reflected on practice and were kept up to date with any changes or practice issues.
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 responded to call bells promptly. We observed staff treating people with dignity and respect and addressing people by their preferred names.
Care plans were person centred and reflected people’s emotional, social and physical needs. Currently activities were mainly one to one and a communal activity scheduled once in the morning and once in the afternoon.
People and their relatives thought there was an open culture. There were effective systems in place to monitor the quality of care delivered. Feedback was actively sought from people their relatives and staff in order to improve the service.