Bedford care home told it 'requires improvement' despite mixed inspection report

A health watchdog has criticised Beacon House care home in Bedford and given it an overall rating of ‘requires improvement’.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) made an unannounced visit to the Linden Road home in October and has published its findings.

Inspectors said three aspects it routinely critiques – safety, effectiveness and leadership – ‘required improvement’ but its ability to be caring and responsive were rated ‘good’.

You can read the full CQC report for yourself here

And Lansglade Homes – which runs the home – has said all actions have already been remedied where ‘requires improvement’ applied.

The CQC report said: “We have identified breaches in relation to assessing risks, monitoring and management of pressure area damage, nutrition and hydration monitoring, the Mental Capacity Act and quality monitoring of the care people received.”

The health watchdog also found:

Pressure mattress settings did not always match people's weights

People did not always receive their regular medicines safely and consistently

Leadership was inconsistent and the culture it created didn’t always support the delivery of high-quality, person-centred care

Shortfalls in the monitoring of residents’ pressure sores

The report said: “We observed eight mattresses that were not set correctly according to people's weights. This placed services users at risk of pressure area damage because mattresses were at incorrect settings.”

However, inspectors did find residents said they felt safe at Beacon House, with one saying, "I am safe here, everything I need gets done."

The inspectors added: “People told us there were enough staff to meet their needs. A person said, ‘When I press my call bell the staff come quickly.’"

There was also positive feedback about the quality of the food and people's dining experience. However, the monitoring of people's food and fluids showed significant gaps, said inspectors.

A spokesperson for Lansglade Homes said: “We were pleased that the inspector continued to rate both the level of care and the responsiveness we offer as ‘good’ and we again received positive comments about the physical surroundings, food, facilities, and overall contentment of residents and staff at Beacon House.

“In response to the areas identified for improvement, we welcomed guidance and have worked hard and quickly to put measures required into practice. Relevant training has already been provided, our record-keeping and governance systems have been addressed, and our care plans and risk assessments are fully up-to-date to the satisfaction of all relevant authorities.

"Throughout this period we have also ensured that residents and relatives were kept informed. We are confident that – having already acted upon the points identified in this report – Beacon House will again achieve an overall ‘good’ rating at its next inspection.”

Beacon House is a residential and nursing care for up to 40 older people with disabilities and dementia.