Byway House

Updated 22 April 2020

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 Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

The inspection was undertaken by one inspector

Service and service type

Byway house 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 had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

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 five professionals who work with the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection-

We spoke with nine people who used the service about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with five members of staff including the registered manager, senior care workers, care workers and the chef.

We reviewed a range of records. This included six people’s care records and multiple medication records. We looked at two staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the registered manager to validate evidence found. We continued to receive feedback from relatives and professional who regularly visited the service.

Updated 22 April 2020

About the service

Byway House is a residential care home providing personal care to up to 20 people. At the time of inspection, 16 people were living at the service. People were aged 60 and over and lived with a range of physical health needs, including conditions associated with the aging process, Parkinson’s, diabetes and dementia.

The building was adapted over two floors with a lift and stair lift serving the first floor. People had en-suite bedrooms which were personalised to individual tastes. The service was very well maintained and furnished. Communal areas were light and comfortable and there was a landscaped, accessible, enclosed garden. The service was located in the heart of the village and had close links with community facilities.

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

People were treated with care and kindness. Feedback about the service from people and those close to them was consistently positive. People and relatives told us they received excellent care and could not praise the service highly enough.

People received personalised support from regular and committed staff. The environment met people’s needs and a recent extension had further enhanced the facilities for people to meet their daily life needs.

People described the staff as caring and thoughtful. People told us that Byway House was a happy place to live. One person said, “everyone comments what a lovely feeling Byway House has.” The registered manager and staff team were motivated and proud of the service they provided to people. Lasting and meaningful relationships with people had been established and there was good engagement with people using the service, their relatives and other professionals.

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. There was a flexible approach to risk management which promoted people’s independence and provided opportunities for new experiences

Robust systems, processes and practices were followed and sustained effectively to safeguard people from situations in which they may experience harm. Risks to people's safety had been thoroughly assessed, monitored and managed so they were supported to stay safe. People continued to receive support from a skilled and consistent team of staff who knew them well. People told us they felt safe.

There was a strong sense of leadership in the service that was open and inclusive. The registered manager focused on achieving outcomes for people and their staff. There were high levels of satisfaction amongst people and relatives who used the service. Everyone we spoke with said they would recommend the service to others. Good practice was sustained through fully embedded and robust governance systems which ensured people experienced good care.

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 this service was outstanding (published 1 August 2017).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.