Beeches Care Home

This unannounced inspection was carried out to review the quality of care and compliance with the legal regulations. At the last inspection the service was found to be in breach of the legal regulations relating to person-centred care, safe care and treatment, premises and equipment, good governance and staffing. The service had made improvements and was no longer in breach of these regulations.

Staff had a good understanding of incidents and accidents, and information was shared amongst the team about lessons learnt. The provider ensured people were transitioned into the service safely and were more protected from the risk of abuse. Fire safety systems had improved, and appropriate health and safety checks were now in place. Staff had better access to ongoing training and support, and recruitment processes were more robust. The home was found to be cleaner, and medication was now managed safely.

The provider had an electronic system to plan and record people’s care, and regular reviews were carried out. Staff received guidance and support in line with current best practice. Information about people was shared with staff and the relevant healthcare partners, and people were supported to manage their health and improve their outcomes. Assessments of people’s capacity, and best interest decision making meetings now evidenced people or their relative’s involvement.

Staff were kind and caring and took the time to communicate with people, treating them like individuals. Nursing staff were available to support those people who were unwell, in pain or discomfort. Staff wellbeing and morale had improved.

Staff had a good understanding of the needs of older people and the registered manager promoted continuity of care. People’s communication needs were met, and the home was accessible. Systems to ensure a good standard of end of life care had improved.

There was a positive, compassionate culture at the service and staff confirmed there were more opportunities for them to speak up. The provider had implemented more robust checks and audits to monitor and improve the safety and quality of care, and worked alongside local services and healthcare partners. Since our last inspection the provider had focused on improving the service to ensure their compliance with legal regulation. The registered manager, deputy manager and staff had worked hard to continuously raise standards and enhance people’s quality of life.

However, we were not fully assured staffing levels fully met people’s needs, and information relating to people’s care needs and associated risks was not always correct or consistent. Concerns were also identified around hydration, people’s privacy, their access to meaningful activities and opportunities for feeding back about their care and treatment.

This service has been in Special Measures since 13 December 2023. The provider demonstrated improvements had been made and the service is no longer rated as inadequate overall or in any of the key questions. Therefore, this service is no longer in Special Measures. We will continue to monitor the service to ensure improvements are sustained.