Archived: Beckley Close

Updated 17 July 2018

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, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

This comprehensive inspection took place on 24 May 2018 and was announced. We gave the provider 24 hours’ notice of our visit, to make sure people’s day to day lives would not be disrupted. We also wanted to make sure the right staff would be available to talk with us as part of our inspection. The inspection was carried out by two inspectors.

Before the inspection the registered manager completed a Provider Information Return. This is information we require providers to send us at least once annually to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We used information the provider sent us in the Provider Information Return to inform the inspection.

We reviewed the last inspection report and other information including any notifications. Notifications are information we receive when a significant event happens, like a death or a serious injury.

We met and spent time with all six people living in the home. We spoke with three members of staff and the registered manager. After the inspection visit we contacted two relatives by telephone. We sampled various records including one care plan, medicine records, quality audits, and staff recruitment and training records. We observed how people were supported and how staff interacted with people.

Updated 17 July 2018

This inspection was carried out on 24 May 2018 and it was announced. We gave the provider 24 hours’ notice so we could be sure the right people would be available when we visited the service. At the last inspection, the service was rated ‘Good.’ At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

Beckley Close is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection. The service provides accommodation and personal care to up to six people living with a learning disability and other complex health needs.

The service has been developed and designed in line with the values that underpin the Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These values include choice, promotion of independence and inclusion. People with learning disabilities using the service can live as ordinary a life as any citizen.

A registered manager was in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run. The service continued to be well managed by the provider, long standing registered manager and staff team.

The provider did not always make sure people’s money was managed as safely as it could be. There was a minor risk that people would pay for staff meals and drinks when out, when they should not do so. Otherwise, people were safe and had the support they needed to express and achieve their goals and aspirations for the future. Positive risk taking was encouraged, and risk assessment and risk management practices to support this were robust. People were supported to eat and drink enough, and specialist dietary needs were met. People were able to access the healthcare they needed to remain well and their medicines were safely managed.

People continued to be supported to have maximum choice and control over all aspects of their lives, and staff supported people in the least restrictive way possible. People led the lives they wanted to and were able to maintain contact with those people who were important to them. People were also able to participate in a wide range of activities, educational opportunities and holidays.

People experienced care that met their needs, and were supported by kind and caring staff. People had their privacy and dignity respected, and staff knew what to do to make sure people’s independence was promoted. People experienced person centred care and were given every opportunity to express their choices and preferences. People were supported to make their end of life care wishes known, and staff knew to involve people in making decisions about their care if they became unwell.

As far as possible, people were protected from harm and abuse. Staff knew how to recognise the signs of abuse and what they should do if they thought someone was a risk. The home was clean, and people were protected from the risks of poor infection and prevention control.

Staff were properly supported with training, supervision and appraisals to make sure they had the skills they needed to provide good quality care. Specialist training had been arranged where needed, for example, dementia care. There were enough staff to support people to stay safe and meet their needs. Staff knew how to report incidents and accidents, and if these did occur, they were properly investigated. Information about these types of incidents were shared, so managers and staff could learn from mistakes.

People had their care needs regularly assessed, and all of the relevant people were involved in care reviews. People experienced care and support that was in line with current guidance and standards. Staff made sure they worked within the organisation and with others, to make sure people received effective care. The building and environment was properly adapted to meets the needs of the people who lived there.

People were asked for their consent before any care was given, and staff made sure they always acted in people’s best interests. The registered manager and staff understood their responsibilities under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). These provide legal safeguards for people who may be deprived of their liberty for their own safety or unable to make informed choices about their care. Staff had sought support from all the relevant parties which enabled people to make decisions about their own health and wellbeing.

People and those who were important to them had access to a complaints process, and relatives said they would be happy to raise a complaint if they ever needed to. There had been no recent complaints, but the registered manager and staff knew what action to take if a complaint were made.

There continued to be good leadership and staff felt supported and able to contribute to the development of the service. People’s views were sought and acted on to improve the service. Regular checks and audits were carried out to make sure staff continued to provide good support. The registered manager had notified the CQC of events that were reportable. The rating of ‘Good’ was displayed at the service and on the provider’s website. The service has met all the fundamental standards and the registered manager and staff have maintained a consistently good service. Further information is in the detailed findings below.