We carried out a review of the data available to us about Beeches Care Home (Nottingham) on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about Beeches Care Home (Nottingham), you can give feedback on this service.
Beeches care home is a care home providing personal and nursing care to 27 people aged 65 and over at the time of the inspection, some of whom were living with dementia. The home is across two floors with people who receive nursing support living mostly upstairs. The service can support up to 54 people.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People were kept safe from the risk of abuse and harm. Risk had been assessed and risk reduction measures were in place. Medicines were managed safely following introduction of a new electronic system. Robust infection control measures had been introduced to protect people from the risk of infection.
Care plans were person centred and evidenced people had been involved in the planning of their care. The home was undergoing refurbishment work and people had been involved in the new décor, this included calmer decor and clearer signage around the home.
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.
The home had a new manager in post who was being inducted with support from the current registered manager. This allowed consistent managerial oversight. Systems and process had been utilised effectively to drive service improvement.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection and update
The last rating for this service was inadequate (published 16 June 2021).
The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve. At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations.
This service has been in Special Measures since 16 June 2021. During this inspection the provider demonstrated that improvements have been made. 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.
Why we inspected
We carried out an unannounced focused inspection of this service on 11 May 2021. Breaches of legal requirements were found. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve staffing, safe care and treatment, personalised care and good governance.
We undertook this focused inspection to check they had followed their action plan and to confirm they now met legal requirements. This report only covers our findings in relation to the Key Questions safe, responsive and well-led which contain those requirements.
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
The ratings from the previous comprehensive inspection for those key questions not looked at on this occasion were used in calculating the overall rating at this inspection. The overall rating for the service has changed from inadequate to good. This is based on the findings at this inspection.
You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Beeches Care Home (Nottingham) on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.
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.
Beeches care home is a care home providing personal and nursing care to 34 people aged 65 and over at the time of the inspection, some of whom were living with dementia. The home is across two floors with people who receive nursing support living mostly upstairs. The service can support up to 54 people.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People were not always kept safe due to a lack of risk management and mitigation. People were not always supported with their needs in a timely manner. People were not adequately protected from the risk of infection due to poor infection control practices. People were not always supported to take their medicines safely.
People did not always receive personalised care and people’s care plans did not always contain relevant up to date information. People had limited interactions and not many activities were available on a daily basis.
The service was poorly led, whilst there were systems and processes in place these were not being utilised effectively. There was little oversight of the service which had led to the care, quality and safety of the service diminishing.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection (and update)
The last rating for this service was requires improvement (published 3 July 2019) and there was a breach of regulation 12 (safe care and treatment). The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve. At this inspection enough improvement had not been made and the provider was still in breach of regulations.
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
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.
Enforcement
We are mindful of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our regulatory function. This meant we took account of the exceptional circumstances arising as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic when considering what enforcement action was necessary and proportionate to keep people safe as a result of this inspection. We will continue to discharge our regulatory enforcement functions required to keep people safe and to hold providers to account where it is necessary for us to do so.
We have identified breaches in relation to infection control, risk management, staffing, personalised care and leadership.
Please see the action we have told the provider to take at the end of this report.
Follow up
We will meet with the provider following this report being published to discuss how they will make changes to ensure they improve their rating to at least good. We will request an action plan for the provider to understand what they will do to improve the standards of quality and safety. We will work with the local authority to monitor progress. We will return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.
Special Measures
The overall rating for this service is ‘Inadequate’ and the service is therefore in ‘special measures’. This means we will keep the service under review and, if we do not propose to cancel the provider’s registration, we will re-inspect within 6 months to check for significant improvements.
If the provider has not made enough improvement within this timeframe. And there is still a rating of inadequate for any key question or overall rating, we will take action in line with our enforcement procedures. This will mean we will begin the process of preventing the provider from operating this service. This will usually lead to cancellation of their registration or to varying the conditions the registration.
For adult social care services, the maximum time for being in special measures will usually be no more than 12 months. If the service has demonstrated improvements when we inspect it. And it is no longer rated as inadequate for any of the five key questions it will no longer be in special measures.
The Beeches is a care home that was providing personal and nursing care to 32 people at the time of the inspection.
People’s experience of using this service:
People received their medicines when prescribed and these were stored safely. However, we found several recording errors to indicate when a medicine had not been given, refused by a person or when a medication should be given and witnessed by two staff. We also had concerns about the way in which transdermal patches for pain relief and the use of thickeners in food for people were recorded, and the accuracy of this recording in people’s records.
There were not always sufficient numbers of staff to meet people's needs. People told us that night times were of particular concern to them, in relation to the deployment of staff within the home.
People's weights, mouth care, bowel care and fluid intake were not always effectively monitored so that staff could identify early signs of people becoming unwell or managing their weight effectively. We found that risk assessments were in place, although they were not always robust or personalised.
People and their relatives said staff were kind, caring and respected their privacy and dignity.
We found the service was acting within the principles of the Mental Capacity Act.
People's right to confidentiality was protected and their diverse needs were identified and incorporated into their care plans where applicable.
People knew how to complain and knew the process to follow if they had concerns.
Staff training, identified as essential by the provider, was up to date for all staff.
Recruitment processes were in place to make sure, as far as possible, that people were protected from staff being employed who were not suitable.
Staff had received training on safeguarding people from abuse and knew how to raise concerns to keep people safe.
Rating at last inspection:
The last report was rated as ‘Good’ (published 2 March 2016)
Why we inspected:
We last inspected in January 2016, and the inspection was required to ensure the service was still ‘Good’. We routinely inspect services rated as ‘Good’. This is to ensure the service remains at a good level and care is safe. We had no concerns when we planned this inspection. It was planned in line with our usual inspection process.
Enforcement:
We found a breach of one regulation relating to the safe care and treatment of people in relation to compliance with the fundamental standards. We have made a recommendation to the provider in relation to this.
Follow up:
We will continue to monitor intelligence we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If any concerning information is received, we may inspect sooner.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
This inspection took place on 27 and 28 January 2016 and was unannounced.
Accommodation for up to 54 people is provided in the home over two floors. The service is designed to meet the needs of older people. There were 48 people using the service at the time of our inspection.
At the previous inspection on 17 and 18 February 2015, we asked the provider to take action to make improvements to the areas of safe care and treatment, meeting nutritional and hydration needs, good governance and staffing. We received an action plan in which the provider told us the actions they had taken to meet the relevant legal requirements. At this inspection we found that improvements had been made in all areas.
There is a registered manager and she was available during the inspection. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.
People felt safe in the home and staff knew how to identify potential signs of abuse. Systems were in place for staff to identify and manage risks and respond to accidents and incidents. The premises were managed to keep people safe. Sufficient staff were on duty to meet people’s needs and they were recruited through safe recruitment practices. Safe medicines and infection control practices were followed.
Staff received appropriate induction, training, supervision and appraisal. People’s rights were protected under the Mental Capacity Act 2005. People received sufficient to eat and drink. External professionals were involved in people’s care as appropriate. People’s needs were met by the adaptation, design and decoration of the service.
Staff were caring and treated people with dignity and respect. People and their relatives were involved in decisions about their care. Advocacy information was made available to people.
People did not always receive personalised care that was responsive to their needs. People were not being fully supported to follow their interests and take part in social activities. Care records did not always contain sufficient information to support staff to meet people’s individual needs. A complaints process was in place and staff knew how to respond to complaints.
People and their relatives were involved or had opportunities to be involved in the development of the service. Staff told us they would be confident raising any concerns with the registered manager and that they would take action. There were systems in place to monitor and improve the quality of the service provided. The provider was meeting their regulatory responsibilities.
This inspection took place on 17 and 18 February 2015 and was unannounced.
Accommodation for up to 54 people is provided in the home over two floors, 40 people were living in the home at the time of the inspection. The service is designed to meet the needs of older people.
There was a registered manager in place; however, this person is no longer registered or working at the home. The new manager was also available during the inspection and is now registered. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.
People and visitors told us they felt safe in the home. Systems were in place for staff to identify and manage risks. People told us there weren’t enough staff on duty and we observed that people did not always receive prompt care. Staff were safely recruited; however, staff did not follow safe medicines and infection control processes.
A person told us that staff were helpful but we found that staff were not fully supported to have the knowledge and skills they needed to meet people’s needs. The home did not always involve outside professionals in people’s care as appropriate and the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act were not fully adhered to. Most people told us they enjoyed the food but we observed that people were not always well supported at mealtimes and documentation to ensure people received enough to eat and drink was not always fully completed.
People and their relatives told us and we found that staff were kind and caring. However, people were not always involved in making decisions about their care and the support they received. Staff treated people with dignity and respect.
One person told us that they felt that they had to fall in with staff routines and we found that people did not always receive care promptly. Activities were taking place but we saw limited evidence of people being supported to follow their own interests or hobbies. Not all care records contained sufficient information to provide personalised care; however, complaints had been handled appropriately by the home.
People told us they had not been asked their views on the service, although we saw people and their relatives could raise issues at meetings or by completing questionnaires. People told us that the registered manager was approachable and accessible. There were systems in place to monitor and improve the quality of the service provided; however, these were not always effective. The provider had not identified the concerns that we found during this inspection.
We found a number of breaches of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. You can see what action we told the provider to take at the back of the full version of this report.
We considered all the evidence we had gathered under the outcomes we inspected. We used the information to answer the five questions we always ask; Is the service safe? Is the service effective? Is the service caring? Is the service responsive? Is the service well led?
Below is a summary of what we found. The summary is based on our observations during the inspection, discussions with people who used the service and with staff who supported them.
If you wish to see the evidence supporting our summary please read the full report.
Is the service safe?
During our inspection we spoke with eight people who used the service. They all told us that they were happy with the service they received and considered that staff met their needs in ways that they preferred. We saw how staff supported people sensitively and discreetly. One person told us, 'It's nice here. The staff are lovely and gentle.' Another person told us, 'The staff are lovely. They make you feel safe.'
We saw four people who used the service being moved using a hoist from one seat to another. We saw that staff were gentle and reassuring. They were mindful of not catching people's head or legs and gave people time to adjust and be comfortable before beginning to move them. Staff told us that they had all now received moving and handling training and that they were confident to move people safely. Training records reflected that staff had all received training with only two exceptions and they were on site on the day of the inspection receiving their training. One person who we saw being moved told us afterwards, 'Yes its ok. Better now.'
We saw how care plans reflected people's dietary requirements and this information was also kept by kitchen staff. Staff told us that they worked with the kitchen staff to ensure people had the food and drink that they liked and what they needed to maintain their health and wellbeing. People who used the service said that they liked the food at the home and one person told us, 'They know what I like and what I can't eat."
We saw that risks were documented and actions were in place to reduce these risks.
Is the service effective?
We found staff were effectively meeting the care and support needs of the people who used the service. We saw care staff respond promptly when call bells sounded and when people asked them directly for support.
We found that people who used the service felt well supported and care plans reflected people's care and support needs. Staff told us that these were useful documents that enabled them to see at a glance the care and support required by each person.
We saw that the care and support of people who used the service was now being effectively planned and delivered. Staff told us that they had read care plans and senior staff told us how they were regularly reviewed to ensure they reflected people's current needs. One person told us that they had sat with staff while they completed their plan. They told us, 'They asked me how I like to be looked after.'
Is the service caring?
At the time of our last inspection on 9 June 2014 we found that not everyone was treated with dignity. At the time of this inspection we saw how improvements had been made that had had a positive impact on the people who used the service.
We saw that all staff had received training in relation to dignity. We also saw that, as a team, they had identified what dignity meant to them. We saw that each staff member now carried a card with them with this information on it. Staff were very proud of their cards and said how they had made positive changes as a result of revisiting the core values of care. During this inspection we saw people being treated with dignity and respect. Changes had also been made to the environment to ensure better privacy for people when using communal bathrooms. This showed how the provider had acted upon our previous findings and invested in both the staff and the layout of the home to ensure people's needs were met appropriately.
Is the service responsive?
At the time of our last inspection we were told that sometimes people had to wait to be supported. The people who spoke with us during this inspection said that they received prompt support. The manager and area manager told us how they had reviewed call bell response times to ensure everyone was attended to in a timely way. Staff told us that, although they were busy, they responded to support people as soon as they were made aware that they needed support. We saw that people who were in their beds had their call bells to hand should they need assistance. People who could not use these had regular checks. Staff who spoke with us knew who these people were and said that they received regular checks.
Records also showed that people's needs were being met and that appropriate checks were taking place and being recorded to monitor support and care needs.
We saw how audits that had been carried out by the manager and senior managers had been responded to. We saw that actions taken had been recorded to demonstrate that they had acted upon requirements made.
Is the service well-led?
The staff who spoke with us at the time of this inspection all felt well supported by senior staff and managers. They said that they had regular supervision and monitoring. The registered manager told us how they spent time every day walking round the home, speaking with people and observing practice. We saw that senior managers also did this as part of their monitoring visits. Records also showed that they spoke with people who used the service and staff.
We saw that audits were in place to monitor the development and review of care plans and also to check working practices. We saw that when audits had been completed actions had been identified and delegated to staff members for completion. We saw how these records were also being audited by senior managers.
Staff who spoke with us said that communication was good and we saw information provided to care and kitchen staff to ensure people's needs were met throughout the day.
The inspection team who carried out this inspection consisted of two inspectors to answer five key questions; is the service safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led. The summary describes what we observed, the records we looked at and what people using the service, their relatives and the staff told us. If you want to see the evidence that supports our summary please read the full report.
Is the service safe?
We found people's care and support was not planned and delivered in a way that ensured their safety and welfare. This included care plans not being read by care staff and a lack of evidence to show people had been involved in planning their care. We saw staff assisting someone with their mobility using an unsafe and prohibited lifting technique. We also saw a person was not using a pressure relieving cushion they needed to use to protect their skin integrity. Another staff member was not aware someone had a soft diet due to the risk of choking on more solid food. We found there were systems in place to ensure people received their medication safely.
CQC monitors the operation of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards which applies to care homes. While no applications have needed to be submitted, proper policies and procedures were in place. Relevant staff have been trained to understand when an application should be made, and how to submit one.
Is the service effective?
We found staff were not always effective at meeting the care and welfare needs of all the people who used the service. We saw care staff did not attend promptly to people's needs, for example we saw a staff member twice left a person they were supporting to attend to other people, and also when someone needed to go to the toilet.
Is the service caring?
Some people told us how they were treated in a sensitive and caring manner. A person said, 'Staff check on me last thing at night, they bring me a hot drink.' However we found the care and welfare needs of people who used the service were not always met in this way. A person told us they felt some staff were a 'little rough' when helping them. We saw people's dignity was not always promoted for example someone was hoisted in front of other people in an undignified manner.
Is the service responsive?
There were sufficient care workers to respond to people's health and welfare needs. But we found staff did not always responded appropriately to the care and welfare needs of people who used the service. A person said, 'Sometimes I have to wait a long time to go to the toilet. We found one person did not have their hearing aid fitted to help with their hearing and another person who was cared for in bed did not have a call bell within their reach to summon for assistance if they needed it.
Is the service well-led?
We found staff were not as effective as they could be in order to meet people's health and welfare needs. Staff told us they thought they were not as an effective team as they could be and felt more direction was needed.
Some staff also said they felt there was an atmosphere which made it hard to be able to say if anything was not right. A staff member said they did not feel able to raise or discuss difficulties between care and kitchen staff as they were not listened to.
Our inspection found that the delivery of personal care and management of hydration was inconsistent, not effective and not managed well.
We found there were not enough staff to meet the needs of the people who used the service.
The majority of the people we spoke with felt that their needs were not always met in a timely way. Comments included, 'It's rough here now and it's difficult to find someone to talk to. It's difficult to be sociable with the staff because they are busy.' Another commented, 'I want more staff that will talk to me.' And, 'All the staff work hard all the time. They run around helping people. They are all good and care about people here, but there are just not enough staff on duty.'
We found that accurate and appropriate records were not maintained. The records we requested could not all be located promptly and security arrangements were not sufficient to protect people's personal information.
During our visit we saw people's privacy and dignity was respected in the way staff spoke with them and provided care. On the day of our visit new communal furniture was being delivered and the old removed. Some of the people who used the service told us that they had been involved in choosing colours for the refurbishment. The delivery meant that peoples' routines had been altered and they had to sit in wheelchairs in one area of the home for the morning. Everyone told us that the reason for the disruption had been clearly explained to them. Some people were enjoying the increased activity.
Staff were familiar with their responsibilities to keep people using the service safe and we saw information available which gave them clear instructions of their responsibility if they suspected an incident of concern within the home.
There were sufficient staff to meet the needs of the people using the service and staff were supported to attend training that enabled them to perform their roles.