Archived: Birchlands

Updated 22 August 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 13 June 2017 and was unannounced. The inspection team consisted of two inspectors.

Before the inspection we reviewed records held by CQC which included notifications, complaints and any safeguarding concerns. A notification is information about important events which the service is required to send us by law. This enabled us to ensure we were addressing potential areas of concern at the inspection.

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. This information was reviewed to see if we would need to focus on any particular areas at the home.

To find out about people’s experience of living at the home we spoke with nine people and three relatives. We observed how staff cared for people, and worked together as a team. We spoke with 10 staff which included the registered manager. We reviewed care and other records within the home. These included five care plans and associated records, five medicine administration records, four staff recruitment files, and the records of quality assurance checks carried out by the staff and provider.

Updated 22 August 2017

Birchlands is a purpose built care home providing care and accommodation for 52 people. The home is arranged into seven units and all bedrooms are single.

There was a registered manager in post. 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.

The inspection took place on 13 June 2017 and was unannounced. At our last inspection in March 2016 we identified one breach in the regulations. This was around the recording of people’s care needs. The registered manager and provider gave us an action plan on how they would address these issues. At this inspection we found that all the areas of concern had been addressed, and people had a positive experience living at Birchlands. There was positive feedback about the home and caring nature of staff from people who live here.

Since our last inspection the registered manager and staff team had made a number of improvements to the home. This included a change in the environment with the introduction of a coffee lounge and game area, new menus, and a greater focus on people being able to follow their individual hobbies and interests. A number of these initiatives had just started, but there was already a positive impact to the lives of the people who live here.

People told us they were happy living there. One person said, “Staff here run around after us all, they [staff] are very good”. A relative said, “The staff are really caring people. They give a relaxed, homelike and welcoming feeling.” Staff were happy and confident in their work and proud of the job they do.

People were safe at Birchlands because there were sufficient numbers of staff who were appropriately trained to meet their needs. Staff understood their duty should they suspect abuse was taking place. Risks of harm to people had been identified and clear plans and guidelines were in place to minimise these risks. Recruitment procedures were safe to ensure staff were suitable to support people in the home. The provider had carried out appropriate recruitment checks before staff commenced employment. People received their medicines when they needed them.

People were cared for by a happy and confident staff team. Staff received comprehensive training, to ensure they could meet and understand the care needs of the people they supported. Staff received regular support in the form of annual appraisals and formal supervision to ensure they gave a good standard of safe care and support.

Where people did not have the capacity to understand or consent to a decision the provider had followed the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act (2005). An appropriate assessment of people’s ability to make decisions for themselves had been completed. Where people’s liberty may be restricted to keep them safe, the provider had followed the requirements of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) to ensure the person’s rights were protected.

People were supported to maintain good health as they had access to relevant healthcare professionals when they needed them. People had enough to eat and drink, and received support from staff where a need had been identified. People’s individual dietary requirements where met.

The staff were kind and caring and treated people with dignity and respect. People received the care and support as detailed in their care plans. People and relatives were involved in reviews of care to ensure it was of a good standard and meeting the person’s needs.

Feedback was sought from people, and complaints and compliments were reviewed to improve the service. When complaints were received these had been dealt with in accordance with the provider’s complaints policy. A family committee had been formed to work with the registered manager and staff to help continue improving the home, and the experiences of people who lived there.

The service was well led by a registered manager and senior management team who were striving to provide an excellent service to people. Numerous activities to achieve excellence had begun, with further work being planned to try and provide a ‘better than good’ service to the people who lived there.

Quality assurance records were kept up to date to show that the provider had checked on important aspects of the management of the home. The registered manager had ensured that accurate records relating to the care and treatment of people and the overall management of the service were maintained. The provider had effective systems in place to monitor the quality of care and support that people received.

People benefitted from living in a home with good leadership and a confident staff team. Staff were very focused on ensuring that people received person centred care, and they took great pride in their work supporting people. This gave people a happy, caring and relaxed place to live.