About the service The Birches is a residential care home providing personal care to up to seven people. The service provides support to adults with mental health needs. At the time of our inspection there were seven people using the service.
The Birches accommodates people in one adapted building across three floors. There are communal living and dining areas and an accessible garden with outdoor seating.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People were protected from harm and abuse, staff had received training in this area and understood how to report any concerns. People’s medicines were safely managed, and staff were recruited safely. There were sufficient numbers of staff available to meet the needs of the people using the service. Risks which affected people’s daily lives were assessed and monitored. We were assured that the provider had sufficient infection, prevention and control measures in place.
Staff training was relevant and up to date, there was effective systems in place to support and supervise staff. People were encouraged and supported to cook their own meals and people planned what they would like to eat. Staff sought guidance from external professionals when required.
Staff were respectful and maintained people’s dignity, privacy and independence. People were given the opportunity to be involved in their care planning and how they wished to be supported, care plans contained information on people’s lifestyle choices, preferences and decisions.
People’s needs were regularly reviewed, and support was adjusted as required. People were supported to access their chosen hobbies and interests and relatives told us staff kept them up to date with relevant information about their family members’ care.
There was a positive, person-centred approach to the delivery of people's care. The provider and registered manager had a good oversight through the regular audits they carried out. We found the systems in place to be robust and identified areas for improvement which were then actioned.
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 inspection and update
The last rating for this service was requires improvement (published 16 May 2019). 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.
Why we inspected
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.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.