Archived: Bethany Homestead

Below is a summary of what we found. The summary is based on our observations during the inspection, discussions with people using the service, the staff supporting them and looking at records.

If you wish to see the evidence supporting our summary please read the full report.

Is the service safe?

People were treated with respect and dignity by the staff. People told us they felt safe. Safeguarding procedures were robust and staff understood how to safeguard the people they supported. The provider had implemented a new policy on reporting thefts to the appropriate authorities such as the police and the Care Quality Commission. People told us the provider had a safe deposit system available at the reception to make sure their money was safe and secure. One person said 'I can deposit cash at the reception and I can draw my money out at any time, no one else has any access to my money'. The staff and people using the service told us there had been no recent thefts at the home. The provider also had systems in place in case of an emergency. The systems included a call bell system to enable people who used services to call for staff assistance and individualised personal evacuation plans.

Is the service effective?

People's health and care needs were assessed with them, and they were involved in writing their plans of care. We saw that individualised care plans had been put in place to ensure people's health and wellbeing. For example we saw that detailed plans were available which ensured people had good oral health. People received care that met a range of individual needs and these included supporting people's nutritional, continence, mobility and skin care needs. We observed that people looked clean and well cared for and were dressed according to their preferences and needs. One person said 'The staff helped me to have a shower this morning and to wash my hair'. They also said 'the staff clean my dentures every day and help me put them in before breakfast'.

Is the service caring?

People were supported by kind and attentive staff. We saw that people's preferences, interests, aspirations and diverse needs had been recorded and care and support had been provided in accordance with people's wishes. The staff showed patience and gave encouragement when supporting people. One person said 'I do get the care here, the staff are helpful and obliging, they are caring people'. Another person said 'The staff have done everything possible to care for me with sensitivity; they always knock on the door before entering and shut the door to maintain my privacy'.

Is the service responsive?

People told us that staff were responsive to a range of their individual needs. They told us that the staff answered call bells promptly and listened to any concerns they had. The provider had undertaken a survey in order to find out whether people were happy with the care provided at the home and had taken appropriate action to make improvements to the service where required.

Is the service well-led?

The service had a quality assurance system, records seen by us showed that identified shortfalls were addressed promptly. As a result the quality of the service had continued to improve. Staff told us they were clear about their roles and responsibilities. Staff had a good understanding of the ethos of the home and the quality assurance processes that were in place. This helped to ensure that people received a good quality service at all times. We saw that the registered manager had used a system of audits to continuously monitor the quality of service at the home. We saw that a records audit had been implemented in response to concerns raised at our last inspection visit and this had improved the staff's performance in maintaining good care records. Staff told us that the registered manager had made recent improvements to the quality of the home.

Most people and relatives of people living at the home told us that they were happy with the level of care provided. One relative of a person living at the home told us that their family member received 'excellent' care and that they knew all the staff well and trusted them completely. People also told us that they liked living at the home and enjoyed the meal choices available to them. One person told us that 'the food is lovely, and there is plenty of it'. People also told us that there was a wide range of activities made available to them and this included going out on day outings, doing quizzes and listening to music.

We found that people received the appropriate care to meet their daily needs and that their nutritional requirements were being met. We also found that the provider had adequate systems in place to manage people's medicines safely. However, we had concerns that the provider did not always follow the safeguarding procedures and records kept for people using the service were not always fully maintained to ensure people's health and safety needs were being met. We found that the provider had made suitable arrangements for supporting staff.

We also spoke with three people who received support in their own bungalow. They all confirmed they received the support and care they needed. One person said, "I have got to know the carers really well and I like them all. They all do a good job."

We spoke with two visitors who said they were welcome to visit at any reasonable hour. They said they always found the staff friendly and helpful.

We saw that the communal areas of the home, such as the lounges and access corridors, were clean and well maintained, attractively decorated, and free from odour. The four bedrooms we saw were comfortable, clean, and each person had personalised their room with their belongings.