Beech House provides care and accommodation for up to 28 older people with care needs. On the day of our inspection there were 26 people using the service, some of which had a diagnosis of dementia.

The registered manager was present during our inspection. 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.

We inspected the homes approach to managing end of life care and found this to be exceptional. We found that people’s wishes in relation to treatment were carried out and care was delivered with compassion and in a sensitive way.

People received care and support specific to their needs and were supported to participate in activities that were important to them. People and their family members repeatedly told us that they felt staff understood their individual needs and preferences, and provided care accordingly.

People repeatedly told us that staff understood their needs and preferences extremely well, and they received effective care and support from well-trained staff.

People and their family members told us the care that provided at Beech House, helped them to have a real sense of confidence and security that their care would always be personal, flexible and caring.

The registered manager and staff were exceptional in involving people to make decisions about every area of the service and they were creative in the way they obtained people's feedback. People accessed services and had links with the local community.

People told us they felt safe and secure. Staff understood the process they should follow to keep people safe and could describe the different ways people may experience abuse and the correct steps they would take if they were concerned that abuse had taken place.

Care staff took an active part in meeting people social wellbeing and this was viewed by staff as being just as important as meeting someone’s physical and personal care needs.

Needs and requests were responded to promptly, and they told us there were enough staff available to meet their care needs. On the day of our inspection, there was an ample amount of staff on shift to meet the needs of people who used the service.

Accidents and incidents were appropriately recorded and investigated. Risk assessments were in place for people who used the service.

We found that the requisite of being passionate about delivering good care was displayed at all levels of the organisation. People had developed caring relationships with the staff that supported them. Relatives told us that there was a positive atmosphere and people were encouraged to take part in the activities they wanted to pursue. Activities inside and days out of the service were offered to people.

The registered provider worked within the principles of the Mental Capacity Act and followed the requirements of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards.

Staff treated people with dignity and respect and maintained people's independence by encouraging them to care for themselves where possible.

People lived in an environment that met their needs and told us they enjoyed the food on offer. All living areas were clean and functional. The provider told us that they wished to improve the décor of the home and were planning to do this.

Medicines were managed safely and staff members understood their responsibilities. The Registered Manager undertook regular audits and improvements were carried out when these were needed. The quality of the service was monitored and assessed consistently.

People who used the service, their family members, and visitors were made aware of how to make a compliment or complaint and were regularly consulted about the quality of the service they received.

People told us that they were happy with the care and support provided at Beech House. People said, "I have no complaints. I feel safe and the staff are kind and caring," and, "The staff are friendly and supportive."

We saw that people's care needs were assessed and planned for with any risks associated with their care being minimised as far as possible. The service was caring and responsive to people's changing needs. Staff sought support from other professionals or agencies when needed. Staff had a good knowledge of people's individual needs and offered them appropriate support.

We found that attention was needed to ensure that people's medicines were always managed effectively with robust monitoring procedures in place. The provider took immediate actions to address the issues identified.

The service was kept clean and provided a hygienic place for people to live.

People told us that they liked and got on with the staff at Beech House. We found that staff were well trained and supported in their role.

We found that the service listened to people's views. There were systems in place to monitor the quality of the service to ensure that it was consistent, effective, of good quality and safe.

We spoke with four people who used the service, two relatives and five staff as part of this inspection. Two people who used the service told us that they were happy with the support they received and felt safe. We observed staff being caring and professional. We saw that care staff worked hard to provide the support people required.

We were told by two relatives that they knew how to complain and that they found the manager and staff to be approachable and professional.

We found that consent had not always been recorded within people’s care plans and that people's nutritional and dietary needs had not been fully assessed.

We found that infection control processes were not adequately protecting people from the risk of cross infection.

People who use the service told us that they felt well treated. They said that the home gave them good information about the service it provided. They told us that they sometimes went out in the bus for an ice cream or fish and chips. They said that meetings had taken place where they had discussed how the home was run.

People told us that the staff listened to them and that they were treated well. They said that a full assessment of their needs had been carried out before they moved in. They told us that they were often asked if they were happy with their care.

People told us that they were able to choose what they wanted to eat. They said that they could have an alternative if they did not want the meal that was on the menu. They told us that they had discussed their likes and dislikes before they moved in and that the staff always checked to make sure that this remained the same. People told us that the food was always good and that there was plenty of it.

People said that they felt safe living in Beech House. They told us that the staff treated them well and that they were always there to help them when needed. People appeared relaxed and happy in the company of staff. They told us that the staff gave them their medication and that they were happy for them to do so.

People told us that they were happy with their rooms. They said that they contained everything they needed and that they had been able to bring some personal items from home if they had wished.

People told us that the staff team were very nice and that they liked them all. They said that they were very knowledgeable and that they felt confident in their hands. They told us that the staff seemed well trained.

People told us that meetings had been held where they discussed how the home was run. They said that they were often asked about how they felt and what they wanted. They told us that staff always checked to make sure they were meeting their wishes.