Beamish Residential Care Home

Updated 20 April 2023

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 Health and Social Care Act 2008.

As part of this inspection we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place. This was conducted so we can understand the preparedness of the service in preventing or managing an infection outbreak, and to identify good practice we can share with other services.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by 1 inspector and 1 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.

Service and service type

Beamish Residential Care Home is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and/or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. Beamish Residential Care Home is a care home without nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

Inspection activity started on 28 March 2023 and ended on 5 April 2023. We visited the service on 28 March 2023.

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

During the inspection

During the inspection we spoke with 4 people who used the service and 14 relatives about their experience of the care provided. Not everyone who used the service communicated verbally or wished to speak, therefore they gave us permission to speak with their relatives on the telephone. We spoke with 5 members of staff including the registered manager, general care manager, two support workers, including a senior support worker and the chef. We received feedback from two health and social care professionals.

We used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI). SOFI is a way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us.

Updated 20 April 2023

About the service

Beamish Residential Care Home is a residential care home providing personal and nursing care to up to 21 older people, including people who may live with a dementia related condition. At the time of our inspection there were 19 people using the service, accommodated in an adapted building.

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

There were sufficient staff to support people safely. A relative told us, "Definitely the best place, pleased [Name] is there, where they can be looked after on a 24-hour basis. The bedroom door is always open and a staff member will always go and check on them, I do think [Name] is quite safe." Staff had received safeguarding training and were clear on how and when to raise their concerns. Where appropriate, actions were taken to keep people safe.

Staff followed effective processes to assess and provide the support people needed to take their medicines safely. A relative commented, "We were very strict with [Name]'s medicines and staff are too. They make sure [Name] takes their medicine correctly at the right time."

Staff contacted health professionals when people’s health needs changed. A relative told us, "Staff involve other people whether it's a referral to the Speech Therapy Team or Mental health team and they contact the GP."

People and relatives were very positive about the caring nature of staff and had good relationships with them. They trusted the staff who supported them. A relative told us, "Staff are incredibly compassionate and they are absolutely brilliant with residents. They are good at building relationships and are always friendly and always approachable, absolutely kind and patient."

Staff followed good infection control practices. A programme of refurbishment was taking place around the home.

Records provided guidance to ensure people received safe, person-centred care and support from all staff members. A professional commented, “People receive personalised care and staff members are well-aware of their needs.”

Staff spoke very positively about working at the home and the people they cared for. They said communication was effective to ensure they were kept up-to-date about any changes in people’s care and support needs.

Staff respected people's diversity as unique individuals with their own needs. The staff team knew people well and provided support discreetly and with compassion. A relative told us, "Staff are very good with [Name] and they feel comfortable. [Name] cried with happiness when they got a permanent place here."

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.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last

The last rating for this service was good (published 18 October 2017).

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

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.

For those key questions not inspected, we used the ratings awarded at the last inspection to calculate the overall rating. The overall rating for the service has remained good based on the findings of this inspection.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Beamish Residential Care Home on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Recommendations

We have made a recommendation to ensure protocols are in place for the use of ‘when required’ medicines.

We have made a recommendation to review the use of the shared room in order to promote people’s rights to privacy and dignity.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.