Bickham House

Updated 16 December 2020

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 care homes with outbreaks of coronavirus, we are conducting reviews to ensure that the Infection Prevention and Control practice was safe and the service was compliant with IPC measures. This was a targeted inspection looking at the IPC practices the provider has in place.

This inspection took place on 20 November 2020 and was announced.

Updated 16 December 2020

About the service

Bickham House is a care home providing personal care to for up to 26 older people. At the time of inspection, there were 23 people living at the home. The home is a large detached Victorian building set in attractive grounds. All the rooms are single occupancy.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

People and relatives felt safe at the home. Improvements to the safety of the home were in progress and the registered manager had good oversight of the home’s health and safety. Staff knew how to keep people safe and how to report any concerns. Staff were recruited safely. Risks to people were assessed and monitored.

Staff received induction and training appropriate to their job role. People were appropriately assessed to ensure the home could meet their needs. People had access to health and medical support when they needed. Relatives were kept up to date with changes to people’s health. People’s capacity was assessed, and applications were made to deprive people of their liberty to keep them safe.

The staff team encouraged people to be as independent as possible and relatives praised the staff team for the kind care they gave. People and their relatives felt well cared for. The staff team were described as kind, caring and patient. People were supported to make their own decisions and staff could describe people’s personal preferences.

Relatives were involved in reviewing care plans. People had access to a range of activities both in and away from the home. Activities were person-centred and everyone we spoke with told us they enjoyed attending them. The home had managed complaints in line with their policy since the last inspection. People were supported with compassion should they be at the end of life while living at the home.

The registered manager and the deputy manager were actively involved in the running of the home. Staff told us they were well supported by both and received regular supervision and appraisal. Team meetings took place regularly. The registered manager was aware of their responsibilities of being registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Audits to monitor and improve the service were in place.

Rating at last inspection and update

The last rating for this service was Good (published 9 January 2017).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up

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

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk