The Beeches (The Drive)

Updated 29 January 2024

An assessment has been undertaken of a specialist service used by people with a learning disability and autistic people. We expect health and social care providers to guarantee people respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ is the guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements about services supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people; and providers must have regard to it.’ The Beeches (The Drive) is a residential care home providing the regulated activity of accommodation and personal care to up to 8 people with learning disabilities and autistic people. At the time of our inspection 8 people were using the service. We carried out our on-site assessment on 15 and 22 February 2024, off site assessment activity started on 29 January 2024 and ended on 12 March 2024. We looked at 11 quality statements; Safeguarding; Involving people to manage risks; Safe and effective staffing, Assessing needs, How staff teams and services work together, Supporting people to live healthier lives, Consent to care and treatment, Kindness, compassion and dignity, Independence, choice and control, Responding to people’s immediate needs and Equity in experiences and outcomes.

Updated 29 January 2024

The service was unable to fully demonstrate how they were meeting the underpinning principles of Right support, Right care and Right culture. Right Support: People were not supported in a safe, clean, and appropriately maintained environment. Not all risk assessments were in place or were being reviewed. People were not always supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives. Mental Capacity assessments had been copied from one to another. We noted the fire exit gate was locked. The cover for an emergency light test box was missing, exposing a live wire which posed a risk of electrocution. We found out of date food in the fridge and freezer and there was not enough food in the service for the number of people who lived there. Right Care: We found staff were not always caring. We observed a staff member telling a person supported to ‘sit down’ in an undignified way. Care and treatment were not planned and delivered in a way which was intended to ensure people's safety and welfare. There were not enough staff to meet people's needs during the night. The system to minimise the risk of infection was not effective as we noted the cleaning rotas were inconsistent. Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP) were not person centred, these lacked detailed information about the person. Positive Behaviour Support Plan, Hospital Passports, Health action plans were in place. People’s annual health checks took place. Right Culture: We witnessed poor and at times complete lack of interaction between staff and people. Financial information and records belonging to 1 person were in a garden shed which was not locked. Financial systems for providing money to the service for food and other essential items were not effective and needed reviewing. People were not able to take part in food shopping and there was not an appropriate means of accessing money for food when it was required.