Byron House Care Home

Byron House is a residential care home providing personal and nursing care to up to 28 people in an adapted building. The service supported older people across 3 floors, some of who were living with dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 25 people using the service.

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

People received care from highly skilled staff who had received training based on people’s needs. The provider’s value-based recruitment and induction strategy focused on key attributes of empathy, kindness and strong teamwork skills rather than the individual’s experience. People were involved with the staff induction process.

There was strong emphasis on staff development and the provider had invested in specific training based on people’s needs. Staff had completed high quality training that ensured they were confident and competent at delivering person centred care. All training was delivered in practice which allowed better understanding of the content. Staff were encouraged and supported to develop their skills and follow a streamlined career progression path within the service.

The provider ensured their practices were in line with the current good practice, guidance and legislation. There was a focus on continuous development, for example, they took part in research which resulted in changes in care to both people living at the service and for the wider general public. People experienced a positive dining experience. People’s feedback was sought and used to always improve nutrition and hydration.

There was a warm, welcoming atmosphere promoted by caring, compassionate staff. All staff despite their roles, were trained to care. For example, domestic and maintenance staff knew people well and were trained to support people with care needs. People enjoyed worthwhile relationships with staff, who valued and respected them. There was a strong commitment to providing personalised care that appreciated people for who they were and recognised the value of their life experiences. Relatives were considered partners in care and their involvement was key to providing person centred care. Relatives were extremely impressed by the positive outcomes people had achieved through the support and encouragement provided at the service.

The provider's vision and values put people at the heart of the service. These were centred around provision of a high-quality service to people whilst allowing people to live their lives the way they chose. People benefitted from exceptional care delivered by a dedicated staff team who were committed to the vision and values of the service. Staff excelled in managing people’s complex needs, including distressed behaviours by using effective distraction techniques that had a positive impact on people’s well-being. We saw many examples where staff successfully enhanced people’s quality of life.

People living at Byron House were supported to lead purposeful lives, engaging with their families and the local community. Whilst adjustments had been made due to the restrictions of the Covid-19 pandemic, measures had remained in place to ensure meaningful relationships and people's overall health and wellbeing was maintained. People had excellent opportunities and access to a variety of activities to prevent social isolation.

Arrangements for social activities met people's individual needs and followed best practice guidance so people could live as full a life as possible. The service had gone the extra mile to find out what people had done in the past and evaluated whether it could accommodate activities and made them happen. People received exceptional personalised care and support specific to their needs, preferences and routines. The service took a key role in the local community and was actively involved in building further links with the local community. Contact with other community resources and support networks was encouraged and sustained.

The provider and registered manager provided exceptional leadership and had developed a dedicated staff team who were committed to providing outstanding care. Staff were motivated by, and proud of the service. They loved being part of dedicated team and vowed to provide excellent care. The registered manager was fully dedicated to providing high quality care that achieved the best possible outcomes for people. Without exception, feedback about the registered manager and the management team was exceedingly positive in relation to their exceptional leadership skills and caring, empathetic approach to everyone. The registered manager and provider constantly looked for ways to improve the service and had effective systems in place to monitor the quality of the service.

Staff knew how to identify and report any concerns. The provider had safe recruitment and selection processes in place which incorporated their values. Risks to people's safety and well-being were managed through a risk management process. There were sufficient staff deployed to meet people's needs. Medicines were managed safely, and people received their medicines as prescribed.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. People were supported to maintain good health and to meet their nutritional needs.

Rating at last inspection and update

The last rating for the service under the previous provider was good, published on 5 December 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.

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