We inspected the service on 21 September 2015. Beechdene is registered with the Care Quality Commission to provide accommodation and personal care for up to 17 people with learning disabilities. On the day of our inspection there were 16 people living at the home.

The home had a registered manager, who was also the provider. 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.

Everyone we spoke with told us that they were happy living at Beechdene and most had done so for a number of years. People considered that the people they lived with were part of their family. They told us that they felt safe and were fully enabled to live the lives they chose with the support that they needed. People lived very independent lives.

People told us that staff met their needs effectively and were all kind and caring. Staff told us that they loved working at the home and we found that they were very knowledgeable about people’s needs, preferences and life histories. They offered effective support that enabled people to live full and active lives. Staff respected people’s privacy and dignity.

Staff were very positive about the support and training they received. They told us that they had received training to equip them with the knowledge and skills to support people safely. They also received training in relation to meeting the specific health needs of people. Staff understood their roles and responsibilities. Staff had a good understanding of what constituted abuse and would be confident to recognise and report it. There were sufficient staff on duty to meet people’s needs effectively and staff were recruited through safe recruitment practices.

Staff told us that they were well supported by the provider and the assistant managers who had been delegated the day to day responsibility for the running of the home. Staff had regular opportunities to discuss their personal and professional development and we saw how staff ‘went the extra mile’ to ensure people’s needs were met. We saw that staff communicated effectively and actively listened to the people they supported. People made decisions and choices about how they spent their days and routines were flexible to enable them to do so.

Care plans were personalised and had been written with the full involvement and support of the person they belonged to. People had signed their plans to say they agreed with the content and there was evidence that they were regularly reviewed and updated.

People had a good range of opportunities in relation to holidays and activities. Some people attended college courses and others had work placements. People had busy lives and had regular contact with family and people who were important to them.

People were supported to remain in good health, attending appointments and check-ups as necessary. People received their medicines safely and medicines were stored and recorded appropriately.

People were provided with sufficient food and drink to maintain their good health and wellbeing, and the standard of food provided was very good.

People felt listened to and would be confident to make a complaint or raise a concern if they needed to. Staff knew the complaints procedure and we saw outside agencies had supported people with decision making when appropriate. People living at the home and the staff team had opportunities to be involved in discussions about the running of the home and felt the management team provided good leadership. There were systems in place to monitor the quality of the services provided.

As part of our inspection we spoke with nine people who used the service, two relatives and a visiting professional for their views. We also spoke with the registered manager, two deputy managers, a member of staff and an apprentice. We looked at service information, care plan files for three people and did a tour of the building.

People we spoke with told us they were involved in discussions and decisions about their care and support. Comments included, “We have review meetings once a year. We can invite our families.” And, “I feel involved with everything. The staff listen to me and treat me right.”

We saw people received well balanced and nutritious meals. People we spoke with told us they received a choice of meals. Comments included, “We have a choice of what to eat. Some of us can make ourselves a drink independently.”

The provider had policies and procedures for the administration of medication. People told us they received their medication at the same time every day. Some people managed their own medication, they told us, “I self-medicate, the staff respect my choices and decisions.”

People we spoke with including two relatives and the visiting professional spoke highly about the staff. They told us they thought there were sufficient numbers of staff available to meet people’s needs and keep people safe.

We saw the provider had internal quality assurance audits in place to monitor the service and that people were asked for their views and wishes.

When we visited the home some people using the service were very keen to talk to us and tell us how happy they were to be living there. They described having full and active lives in which they experienced frequent holidays such as cruises, regular meals out and visits to their family. We also spoke with other people using the service that had not come directly to us. These people were also happy living at the service and had no concerns.

The care plans and care records we looked at showed that the staff placed the needs, wishes, preferences and decisions of people who used the service at the centre of the assessment, planning and delivery of care and support. The staff were putting people who used the service at the heart of their own care planning process, empowering them and respecting their individual preferences.

People using the service told us,” I love the people here, I am looking forward to Christmas with all of them, and they are my new family. “ A second person told us, “The staff here are very nice, I trust them and I can talk to them if I have a problem.They look after us well”.

On the day of our visit to Beechdene there were fifteen people living at the care home.

We spoke with two people who live at Beechdene. They told us that they liked living at the care home and that the staff were: “Very nice.” ”We are going on a cruise for 9 days to Spain.” “I had some problems when I came here but the staff helped me and it’s alright now.”

Both of the people who we spoke with were aware of their care plans and knew what was in them. They could both point out different things in the care file, and it was clear that they were quite familiar with documents, and that the content had been discussed with them by the staff.

We spoke with two people who live at Beechdene, and asked if they felt safe living at the care home. They both said that they did. We also asked if the staff were kind, and again we were told: “I like most of the staff.” “When I came here I didn’t feel very safe, because I had some problems, but now I do feel safe, and the staff look after me and they help me to be safe.”