Beauchamp Court

Updated 11 May 2023

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

As part of this inspection we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place. This was conducted so we can understand the preparedness of the service in preventing or managing an infection outbreak, and to identify good practice we can share with other services.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by 1 inspector.

Service and service type

Beauchamp Court is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and/or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. Beauchamp Court is a care home without nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

This service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

There was not a registered manager in place at the time of our inspection. The manager had previously been registered with CQC but had left their post in October 2022 and cancelled their registration. The manager who replaced them had left before becoming registered with CQC. A new manager was due to start on 11 April 2023. The previous registered manager had rejoined the home to provide management cover until the new manager started.

Notice of inspection

The first day of the inspection was unannounced. The second day of the inspection was announced.

Before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection, including notifications of significant events. We reviewed monitoring activity we had carried out in October 2022, which included speaking with the manager, and feedback forms completed by relatives as part of this monitoring activity. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR) on 6 February 2023. This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with 5 people who lived at the home and 4 friends and family members. We spoke with the manager, 2 team leaders, 3 care staff, and the cook.

We looked at care records for 3 people, including their assessments, care plans and risk assessments. We checked 3 staff recruitment files, health and safety records, meeting minutes, records of complaints and accidents and incidents, and the arrangements for managing medicines.

Updated 11 May 2023

About the service

Beauchamp Court is a residential care home providing accommodation and personal care for a maximum of 19 older people, including people living with dementia. There were 16 people living at the home at the time of our inspection. Accommodation is provided over 3 floors in one adapted building.

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

Risk assessments did not encompass all areas in which there may have been risks to people’s safety and well-being. This meant some risks people faced may not have been identified or plans put in place to mitigate them.

People’s care plans did not encompass all relevant areas of their lives. For example, there were no care plans in place in relation to communication needs or about the care people wished to receive towards the end of their lives. This meant there were some important aspects of people’s lives in which there was no guidance for staff about the care people needed.

People felt safe when staff provided their care. People told us they received their care from regular staff, which was important to them.

Accidents and incidents were recorded and reviewed by the manager to identify themes and any actions needed to minimise the risk of a similar incident happening again.

Staff kept the home clean and people were protected from the risk of infection. Medicines were managed safely.

There were enough staff on each shift to keep people safe and meet their needs. Staff were recruited safely and understood their role in safeguarding people from abuse.

Staff monitored people’s health and supported people to access healthcare services when they needed them.

Staff had access to the training and support they needed for their roles. Staff supported one another effectively and worked well as a team.

Staff were kind and caring and treated people with respect. They encouraged people to make choices about their care and respected their decisions. People were supported to be independent where this was important to them.

People’s care was designed and planned to meet their individual needs. 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.

People enjoyed the food at the home and had input into the development of the menu. People’s specific dietary needs were met. People had access to in-house and external activities.

The manager provided good leadership for staff and communicated effectively with people, their family members and professionals. Staff were positive about their roles and felt valued for the work they did.

The views of people who lived at the home, their family members and staff were listened to and acted upon. People and their family members felt able to raise any concerns they had and were confident these would receive an appropriate response.

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

Rating at last inspection

The legal entity of the registered provider has changed since the last inspection. The service was registered under the new legal entity on 23 February 2022. The last rating for the service under the previous provider was good, published on 21 June 2018.

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the Safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.

Follow up

We will request an action plan from the provider to understand what they will do to improve the standards of quality and safety. We will work alongside the provider and local authority to monitor progress. We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.