Beech Manor provides accommodation and support to up to eight adults with mental health needs. At the time of our inspection seven people were using the service.

At our last inspection in October 2015 the service was rated good. The service remained rated good.

There continued to be sufficient staff in post to meet people’s needs. Staff were aware of the risks to people’s safety and put plans in place to mitigate those risks. Staff continued to adhere to safeguarding procedures and escalated any concerns when needed. People received their medicines as prescribed and safe medicines management processes were followed.

Staff worked with other healthcare professionals to ensure people’s needs were met. Staff adhered to the principles of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005. Staff and people were aware of any restrictions imposed on people in line with either the Mental Health Act 1983 or MCA. Staff received regular training to ensure they had the knowledge and skills to undertake their duties. Staff provided any support people required with their nutrition and provided people with information about how to maintain a balanced diet.

Staff continued to build friendly trusting relationships with people. People felt able to speak openly with staff and staff provided any emotional support people required. People were involved in decisions about their care and how they spent their time. Staff continued to respect people’s privacy and dignity, respected their individual preferences including in relation to their culture or religion and supported people to rebuild relationships with their relatives.

Clear and detailed care records remained in place detailing people’s support needs. Staff provided people with any support they required and empowered them to take ownership of their recovery. They encouraged people to relearn their skills and participate in college courses and voluntary work placements. A complaints process remained in place which ensured any concerns raised were listened to and investigated.

Clear leadership and management were in place. A registered manager remained in post and staff felt able to have open conversations with their manager. There continued to be processes in place to monitor the quality of service delivery and mechanisms in place to obtain feedback from people and their relatives.

Further information is in the detailed findings below

During our inspection we spoke with three members of staff and a visiting psychiatrist. We also spoke with two out of the six people who currently live at Beech Manor. They told us all the staff that worked in their home were kind and caring and they both felt they were given enough encouragement and support to maintain and develop their independent living skills. One person told us “it’s alright living here. …better than the last place I was at. The staff are all nice to me”. Another person said “I’m happy living here. Some of the staff have been helping me learn how to cook”.

We observed from people's records, people had been involved in developing their care and activity plans and had been able to state their preferences and choices about how they lived their lives.

People were protected against the risks associated with medicines because the provider had appropriate arrangements in place to manage medicines safely.

We saw staff were supported to deliver care and treatment safely and to an appropriate standard and received training to refresh their skills and knowledge.

At the time of our inspection there were seven people living at Beech Manor. We spoke with the registered manager, the quality and operations director, two members of staff and four people who use the service.

People we spoke with told us they were happy at Beech Manor. One person told us “It’s good here, nice and quiet and all the residents get on with each other.” Another person told us “it’s nice and quiet and my room is lovely” and another said “I feel happier every day since I have been here.”

During our inspection we saw staff always treated people with respect and dignity and people were supported to make informed decisions about how they lived their lives. We saw how staff assisted people with their daily routines and people we spoke with told us how staff helped them become more independent. One person told us “I’m more independent here. I can cook all my own meals, tidy my room and do my own laundry.”

We looked at various records the provider is required to keep and we saw that policies and procedures had been put in place to ensure the safety and well-being of people using the service. We saw evidence of a quality assurance system regularly monitored by the provider.

Beech Manor is a new service and at the time of our inspection there were only two people living in the home. On the day of our inspection we spoke to one person who uses the service and another person who was considering moving into the home.

One person told us “yes, it’s lovely here” and another person said “I love it here, it’s so peaceful and quiet”

We were told that staff were very supportive and listened to what people had to say. One person told us how support was provided by staff when they went shopping and when they cooked meals at the home.

During our inspection we saw and heard staff interacting with the residents with respect and dignity, taking the time to listen to what the users of the service had to say.

This inspection took place on 30 September 2015 and was unannounced. At the last inspection on 5 March 2014 we found the service was meeting the regulations we looked at.

Beech Manor is a small care home which provides care and accommodation for up to eight adults with mental health needs. The service specialises in supporting people in the rehabilitation of their mental health to help them achieve greater independence in daily living. At the time of our inspection there were six people living in the home.

The service had a registered manager in post. 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 a legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People and relatives told us people were safe at Beech Manor. Staff knew how to protect people if they suspected they were at risk of abuse or harm. They had received training in safeguarding adults at risk and knew how and when to report their concerns if they suspected someone was at risk of abuse. The provider had a formal procedure in place for staff to follow to ensure concerns were reported to the appropriate person.

Risks to people’s health, safety and welfare were routinely assessed by senior staff. Plans and guidance was in place for staff to minimise identified risks to keep people safe from injury or harm in the home and community. Regular maintenance and service checks were carried out of the premises to ensure the environment and equipment was safe. Staff kept the home clean, tidy and free of hazards to reduce the risk of harm or injury to people.

There was an established and stable staff team at the home. Staffing levels were planned in advance and took account of the needs of people on a daily basis. The provider had carried out appropriate checks to ensure staff were suitable and fit to work at the home. Staff received relevant training to help them in their roles. Staff were supported by the senior staff team and had a good understanding and awareness of people’s needs and how these should be met. The way they supported people during the inspection was kind, caring, and respectful.

People were supported to keep healthy and well. Staff ensured people were able to promptly access healthcare services when this was needed. Medicines were stored safely, and people received their medicines as prescribed. People were encouraged to drink and eat sufficient amounts to reduce the risk to them of malnutrition and dehydration.

Support plans had been developed for each person using the service which reflected their specific needs and preferences for how they were cared for and supported. They gave guidance and informed staff on how people’s needs should be met. People were appropriately supported by staff to make decisions about their care and support needs. These were discussed and reviewed with them regularly.

People were encouraged to maintain relationships that were important to them. People were also supported to undertake activities and outings of their choosing. People said they felt comfortable raising any issues or concerns directly with staff. There were arrangements in place to deal with people's complaints, appropriately.

The senior staff team demonstrated good leadership. They sought people’s views about how the care and support they received could be improved. They ensured staff were clear about their duties and responsibilities to the people they cared for and accountable for how they were meeting their needs.

The provider and senior staff team carried out regular checks of key aspects of the service to monitor and assess the safety and quality of the service that people experienced. Staff took appropriate action to make changes and improvements when this was needed.

Staff had sufficient training in the Mental Health Act 1983 and the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) to understand when an application should be made and in how to submit one. DoLS provides a process to make sure that people are only deprived of their liberty in a safe and correct way, when it is in their best interests and there is no other way to look after them.