This inspection took place on 29 September 2015 and was unannounced. This meant the staff and the provider did not know we would be visiting.
Belchford is a detached, two storey building set in its own grounds. The home comprised of seven single bedrooms, none of which were en-suite. Four bedrooms were located on the ground floor and three bedrooms were located on the first floor. The accommodation included a lounge, a kitchen, a dining room, several bathrooms/communal toilets and the property was surrounded by a large, enclosed, well maintained garden.
The home was clean, spacious and suitable for the people who used the service.
Belchford provides care and accommodation for up to seven people with a learning disability and complex needs. On the day of our inspection there were seven people using the service.
The home had a registered manager in place. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) 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.
Belchford was last inspected by CQC on 13 January 2013 and was compliant with the regulations in force at the time.
There were sufficient numbers of staff on duty in order to meet the needs of people using the service. The provider had an effective recruitment and selection procedure in place and carried out relevant checks when they employed staff.
Incidents and accidents were appropriately recorded and included details of any follow up action taken.
Medicines were administered safely and there was an effective medicines ordering system in place.
Staff training was up to date and staff received regular supervisions and appraisals.
CQC monitors the operation of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) which applies to care homes. The Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) are part of the Mental Capacity Act 2005. They aim to make sure that people in care homes, hospitals and supported living are looked after in a way that does not inappropriately restrict their freedom. We looked at records and discussed DoLS with the registered manager who told us that there were DoLS in place and in the process of being applied for.
People who used the service and their relatives were complimentary about the standard of care at Belchford.
Staff treated people with dignity and respect and helped to maintain people’s independence by encouraging them to care for themselves where possible.
People who used the service had access to a range of activities in the home and within the local community.
Care records were person-centred and reflective of people’s needs.
The provider had a complaints policy and procedure in place and complaints were fully investigated.
The provider had a robust quality assurance system in place and gathered information about the quality of their service from a variety of sources.