Belmont House Nursing Home

Updated 12 October 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

Two inspectors carried out this inspection.

Service and service type

Belmont House Nursing Home 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. Belmont House Nursing Home is a care home with nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). 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 7 people using the service, 5 relatives and a visiting healthcare professional. We asked them for their views about the safety and quality of care and support provided at the service. We observed interactions between people and staff to understand people’s experiences. We spoke with the registered manager, the regional support manager, 2 registered nurses, 3 care support workers, a member of the housekeeping team, the health and wellbeing coordinator, the chef, 1 kitchen assistant and the maintenance person. We reviewed a range of records. This included 6 people's care records, records relating to medicines management, 3 staff recruitment files, staff training and supervision information and other records relating to the management of the service.

Updated 12 October 2023

About the service

Belmont House Nursing Home is a care home providing personal and nursing care to up to 60 people. The service provides support to older people, some of whom are living with dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 51 people using the service.

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

People were safe. Staff understood how to safeguard people from abuse and reported safeguarding concerns to the relevant people and agencies. Risks to people’s safety and wellbeing were managed well. There were enough staff to support people and meet their needs. Recruitment checks were undertaken on staff to make sure they were suitable to support people. The provider undertook regular checks and audits to make sure the premises and equipment were safe. The premises were clean, tidy and hygienic. Staff followed current infection control and hygiene practice to reduce the risk of infections.

People were involved in planning and making decisions and able to state their choices and preferences for how their care and support was provided. Staff knew people well and how to meet their needs. They received relevant training to help them do this. Staff were well supported and valued by managers and encouraged to learn and improve in their role. They were encouraged to put people’s needs and wishes at the heart of everything they did.

People were supported to stay healthy and well. Staff understood people’s healthcare needs and how these should be met. They made sure people could access support from healthcare professionals when this was needed. The service worked proactively with healthcare professionals and acted on their recommendations to deliver care and support that met people’s needs. People were encouraged to eat and drink enough to meet their needs and to take their prescribed medicines.

Staff were kind and caring. They treated people well and people were happy with the care and support they received. Staff supported people in a dignified, respectful way which maintained their privacy and independence. 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 could take part in a wide range of activities and events at the service based on their choices and preferences. Relatives and friends were free to visit the service without any unnecessary restrictions. The home had been designed and decorated to meet people’s needs. People had a choice of spaces to spend time in at the service, to build relationships and socialise with others.

The service was managed well. The registered manager had the skills and experience to perform their role and had a clear understanding of how people’s needs should be met. They undertook checks at regular intervals, to monitor, review and improve the quality and safety of the service. The service had a good track record in trialling and implementing new ways of working, to help improve the overall quality of care and support people received.

The service obtained people’s feedback about how the service could be improved and these were acted on. There were systems in place to ensure accidents, incidents and complaints were investigated and people were involved and informed of the outcome. Learning from these was shared with the staff team to help the service improve the quality and safety of the support provided.

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

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for the service was good (published on 1 March 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 continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.