Birchwood Care Home

There are five separate units within the home, namely Maple, Oak, Pine, Ash and Walnut, set across three floors. Each unit is self-contained with communal and dining rooms. People with more complex nursing needs live on the first floor (Maple and Oak units), whilst people living with dementia are mainly located on the first floor (Pine and Ash units). More independent people live on the ground floor (Walnut unit). People had individual bedrooms with en-suite bathroom facilities. The care home is situated in a residential area. There is a large garden to the rear and side of the building.

People were protected from avoidable harm by staff who had completed safeguarding training and knew how to recognise and report abuse. The manager ensured enough suitable staff were deployed to meet people's needs safely. Staff completed a robust recruitment process, which explored their conduct in previous care roles, to assure their suitability to support older people. Staff maintained high standards of cleanliness and hygiene in the home, which reduced the risk of infection, in accordance with provider's policies and procedures, and government guidance.

Staff assessed all aspects of people's physical, emotional and social needs and ensured these were met to achieve good outcomes for them. Managers effectively supported staff to develop and maintain the skills to support people according to their needs. Staff emphasised the importance of eating and drinking well and reflected best practice in how they supported people to maintain a healthy balanced diet. Staff identified when people's needs changed and quickly sought guidance from health care professionals. This ensured people received the appropriate care to keep them safe and well. The home had been purpose built to accommodate older people and was subject to a rolling programme of assessment and adaptation. This ensured the environment remained dementia friendly.

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 experienced caring relationships where staff treated them with kindness and compassion in their

day-to-day care. People were supported to be independent and make decisions about their care. People's choices were supported by staff, who treated people with dignity and respect. Staff knew how to comfort and reassure different people when they were worried or confused.

People experienced person-centred care, which consistently achieved good outcomes and had significantly improved the quality of their lives. People received information in a way they could understand, allowing for any impairment, such as poor eyesight or hearing. People were enabled to live as full a life as possible and were supported to take part in activities, which enriched their lives. People were supported to keep in touch with family and friends, which had a positive impact on their well-being. People and relatives knew how to make complaints and were confident the management team would listen and address their concerns. The service worked closely with health care professionals and provided good end of life care, which respected people's wishes and ensured they experienced a comfortable, dignified and pain-free death.

The management team led by example and promoted a strong caring, person-centred culture where people and staff felt valued. Staff were passionate about their role and consistently placed people at the heart of the service. The manager understood their responsibilities to inform people when things went wrong and the importance of conducting thorough investigations to identify lessons learnt to prevent further occurrences.