Archived: Brighton & Hove Bethesda Home

Updated 14 September 2017

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 inspection took place on 25 July 2017 and was unannounced. The inspection team consisted of one inspector and an expert-by-experience. An expert-by-experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service. The expert-by-experience for this inspection was an expert in care for older people.

We carried out this unannounced inspection of Brighton & Hove Bethesda Home on 25 July 2017. This visit was unannounced, which meant the provider and staff did not know we were coming. We previously carried out a comprehensive inspection at Brighton & Hove Bethesda on 23 June 2015. We found areas of practice that needed improvement. This was because we identified issues in respect to the analysis of accidents and incidents. The service received an overall rating of ‘good’ from the comprehensive inspection on 23 June 2015.

The provider had completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We looked at other information we held about the service. This included previous inspection reports and notifications. Notifications are changes, events or incidents that the service must inform us about.

During the inspection we observed the support that people received in the communal lounge / dining room. We spoke with seven people, four care staff, the chef and the registered manager. We spent time observing how people were cared for and their interactions with staff and visitors in order to understand their experience. We also took time to observe how people and staff interacted at lunch time.

We spent time observing care and used the short observational framework for inspection (SOFI), which is a way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us. We spent time looking at records, including four people’s care records, four staff files and other records relating to the management of the service, such as policies and procedures, accident/incident recording and audit documentation. We also ‘pathway tracked’ the care for some people living at the service. This is where we check that the care detailed in individual plans matches the experience of the person receiving care. It was an important part of our inspection, as it allowed us to capture information about a sample of people receiving care.

Updated 14 September 2017

We carried out this unannounced inspection of Brighton & Hove Bethesda Home on 25 July 2017. We previously carried out a comprehensive inspection at Brighton & Hove Bethesda Home on 23 June 2015. We found areas of practice that needed improvement. This was because we identified issues in respect to the analysis of incidents and accidents. Incidents and accidents were not monitored and analysed over time to look for any emerging trends and themes, or to identify how improvements to the service could be made. The service received an overall rating of ‘good’ from the comprehensive inspection on 23 June 2015.

We undertook this unannounced comprehensive inspection to look at all aspects of the service and to check that the provider had made the required improvements. We found improvements had been made. The overall rating for Brighton & Hove Bethesda Home remains as ‘good’.

Brighton & Hove Bethesda Home is located in Hove. It provides accommodation with personal care and support to 22 older people, some of whom were living with varying stages of dementia, along with healthcare needs such as diabetes and sensory impairment. One of the conditions of residency is that residents are members of the Gospel Standard Churches, or that they regularly attend their chapels. The service is set over one floor. On the day of our inspection, there were 15 people living at the service.

Brighton & Hove Bethesda Home belongs to the organisation the Gospel Standard Bethesda Fund. The Gospel Standard Bethesda Fund is a Christian organisation standing by the distinct position of the Gospel Standard articles of faith, and aims to run its homes on Christian principles. The Gospel Standard Bethesda Fund has additional services in Harpenden, Hertfordshire and Studley, Wiltshire.

Accidents and incidents were recorded and analysed and people told us they felt the service was safe. People remained protected from the risk of abuse because staff understood how to identify and report it.

The provider continued to have arrangements in place for the safe ordering, administration, storage and disposal of medicines. People were supported to get their medicine safely when they needed it. People were supported to maintain good health and had access to health care services.

Staff considered people’s capacity using the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) as guidance. People’s capacity to make decisions had been assessed. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. The provider was meeting the requirements of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS).

People felt staff were skilled to meet their needs and provide effective care. Additionally, people enjoyed taking part in meaningful and appropriate activities both in the service and the community.

People remained encouraged to express their views and had completed surveys. Feedback received showed people were satisfied overall, and felt staff were friendly and helpful. People also said they felt listened to and any concerns or issues they raised were addressed.

Staff supported people to eat and drink and they were given time to eat at their own pace. People’s nutritional needs continued to be met and they reported that they had a good choice of food and drink.

The service had a relaxed and homely feel. Everyone we spoke with spoke highly of the caring and respectful attitude of a consistent staff team and this was observed throughout the inspection.

People’s individual needs were assessed and care plans were developed to identify what care and support they required. People were consulted about their care to ensure wishes and preferences were met. Staff worked with other healthcare professionals to obtain specialist advice about people’s care and treatment.

Staff felt fully supported by management to undertake their roles. Staff were given training updates, supervision and development opportunities. People and staff found the management team approachable and professional.