Beechwood House a ‘care home.’ People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection. Personal care is provided in one adapted building for up to 10 older people.

This was our first inspection of the service against this registered provider, since their initial registration in March 2017. This was a comprehensive, unannounced inspection, which took place on 25 October 2018, carried out by one inspector. There were seven people living at service, receiving personal care.

There was a registered manager for the service at the time of this inspection, who is also one of the registered partners [care providers]. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission. They are responsible for the day to day management of the regulated activity of personal care at the service. Like providers, as a registered person they have a legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

The service was safe, and kept clean, hygienic and well maintained. Staff understood and followed their role and responsibilities to ensure people’s safety at the service, including for infection control and prevention.

People felt safe and informed to raise any safety concerns. Staff knew how to recognise and report the witnessed or suspected abuse of any person receiving care at the service. The provider regularly took account of and acted to ensure people’s safety needs were met, when required.

The provider’s care management systems helped to ensure people’s safety at the service. Staff understood and followed people’s safety needs, as shown in their care plans. People’s medicines were safely managed.

Staff were safely recruited, trained and deployed to provide people’s care. Emergency contingency planning and information sharing arrangements helped to ensure people’s safety at the service or, if they needed to transfer to another care provider.

People received effective care, which they and their relatives were happy with. Staff supported people to maintain or improve their health and nutrition, in consultation with relevant external health professionals when needed. Systems were in place to ensure relevant and timely information sharing with relevant care providers when required for people’s care.

People were happy with their environment, which was adapted to provide sufficient space and support people’s independence, including access to well a well kept garden area.

People received care from staff who were kind, caring and had established good relationships with them and their families. Staff treated people with respect and ensured their dignity, privacy, comfort, choice and independence when they provided care.

Staff knew people well and followed what was important to them for their care. People and relatives were informed about the care people could expect to receive at the service. Service information was under review to fully ensure readily available accessible information, for any person with a disability or sensory loss.

People received, individualised personal care, which met with their choices, daily living and lifestyle preferences. People were enabled to engage and participate in home life and to access the local community, friends and family as they chose.

People and relatives were informed and confident to make a complaint and to access to local advocacy services if they needed to.

People’s end of life care wishes were recorded, as agreed with them. Work was in progress to review and optimise people’s end of life care experience against recognised national standards. This aimed to maximise people’s comfort, choice and ensure a consistent and informed approach to people’s end of life care.

The service was well managed. People and th