CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Benton Care Services Limited
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- People's risks were identified and reviewed monthly. Inspectors found suitable arrangements for safeguarding, staffing, medicines, infection control and checking the home and vehicles.
- Effective?
- Good
- People's needs and preferences were assessed in detail. Staff supported people with food, healthcare, training and decisions made under the Mental Capacity Act.
- Caring?
- Outstanding
- Staff treated people with exceptional kindness and respect. They understood how people communicated, responded quickly to their needs and promoted dignity, independence and inclusion.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care plans were accurate, personal and reviewed each month. People were supported with communication, activities, family relationships, community access and end-of-life wishes.
- Well-led?
- Good
- Inspectors found open leadership, clear roles and systems for checking quality. Staff, relatives and professionals said their views were welcomed and acted on.
What inspectors found, December 2019
Rated Good overall, with Outstanding caring; inspectors found safe, person-centred care.
The inspection was unannounced and took place over three days. The inspector spoke with people using the service, relatives, staff and other professionals. They observed care and checked care plans, medicines records, staff files and management records.
The home provided personal and nursing care for 13 people with learning disabilities and/or autism. Inspectors found that people were safe, supported to make choices and given care that met their needs. Care plans were detailed and regularly reviewed.
Caring was rated Outstanding. Inspectors found that staff knew people very well, respected their communication needs and supported their dignity, independence, relationships and community involvement.
The overall rating was Good. Safe, Effective, Responsive and Well-led were rated Good. The previous overall rating was also Good, while Caring improved from Good to Outstanding.
Exceptionally caring staff
Staff placed people at the centre of the home and showed a strong understanding of their individual needs. Relatives and professionals described the care in very positive terms.
“People were extremely well-cared for by staff who took pride in ensuring people were well-dressed and supported to enjoy good relationships.” from the report
Communication and choice
Staff understood people's words, gestures and behaviour, including when people could not communicate verbally. People were involved in decisions and could express their views in different ways.
“Staff knew and understood people's needs exceptionally well.” from the report
Safe care
Inspectors found regular risk reviews, safe medicines arrangements, suitable recruitment checks and enough staff to meet people's needs.
“People's personal risks were identified and monitored. Risk assessments were reviewed each month.” from the report
Personalised support
Care plans recorded people's preferences and wishes in detail. Staff supported activities, family contact, community trips and people's independence.
“The plans contained person-centred objectives and provided guidance to staff on how these should be achieved.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01What extra space might people need as they get older, and what progress has been made in finding alternative premises?
- 02How will you learn and respond to a person's needs if they cannot communicate verbally?
- 03How are risk assessments reviewed each month, and how are changes shared with staff?
- 04How do you review medicines, including medicines whose dosage may vary and efforts to reduce psychotropic medicines?
- 05How are people and relatives involved in decisions about care, activities, family contact and end-of-life wishes?
This was an unannounced planned inspection covering all five CQC questions, with the previous overall rating of Good and Caring improving from Good to Outstanding. This explanation was written from the published report of 17 December 2019 by an AI system and checked against the report text: every quoted line appears in the report. It is a guide to the report, not a substitute for it. Read the full report on cqc.org.uk.
What inspectors found, June 2017
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and person-centred care, with care plans still being improved.
This was an unannounced inspection over three dates. Inspectors visited the home on 19 and 20 April 2017, then spoke with relatives by telephone on 5 May. They spoke with people, staff, relatives and professionals, observed care, and checked three people's records.
The home was rated Good overall and Good in all five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Inspectors found enough staff, safe medicines practices, suitable checks on the building and a very clean home.
People were treated with kindness and respect. Staff knew people well, supported their choices and helped them keep in touch with family and take part in activities. The manager had systems to monitor quality and involve staff, relatives and professionals.
The home was reviewing care plans to make them more personal and up to date. Inspectors also noted that some as-needed medicines plans were being reviewed, but they found the service was meeting legal requirements.
Continuity of staff
The home did not use agency staff. Staff covered shifts themselves, so people received care from staff they knew and could understand who was working each day.
“People experienced continuity of care as the service did not use agency staff.” from the report
Clean and safe home
Inspectors found the home exceptionally clean, with regular safety checks and actions to reduce risks such as falls and cross-infection.
“We found the home to be exceptionally clean and observed staff carrying out cleaning duties during the course of the day, to maintain the environment.” from the report
Kind relationships
Relatives and professionals described warm relationships between staff and the people living in the home. Inspectors observed that people were relaxed and treated with dignity.
“Professionals and relatives alike commented to us on the friendliness and the genuine care provided by staff.” from the report
Support with activities
Staff knew people's interests and supported regular outings and individual activities. This helped people stay involved and reduced social isolation.
“People were protected from social isolation by support from staff to go out or with their preferred activities.” from the report
Care plans being improved
needs fixingThe home had detailed care plans, but the manager was still working to make them more person-centred and up to date. A programme and extra senior carer duties had been introduced to support this.
“The registered manager told us they were working on developing people's care plans to ensure they were more person-centred.” from the report
As-needed medicines plans under review
minorThe home had plans for medicines given when needed, including guidance about recognising pain. Inspectors noted that these plans were being reviewed during the inspection.
“The service had PRN plans in place which they were reviewing at the time of inspection.” from the report
- 01Have all care plans now been reviewed and made more person-centred?
- 02How are as-needed medicines recorded, and how do staff know when they should be given?
- 03How will you involve our relative and family in reviewing the care plan?
- 04How many staff are normally on duty in each of the three houses, and how are absences covered?
- 05How do you record and respond to changes in a person's health or behaviour?
This was an unannounced inspection covering all five CQC questions, with visits to the home on 19 and 20 April and telephone calls to relatives on 5 May 2017. This explanation was written from the published report of 6 June 2017 by an AI system and checked against the report text: every quoted line appears in the report. It is a guide to the report, not a substitute for it. Read the full report on cqc.org.uk.
Every inspection of Benton Care Services Limited
2 rated inspections over 3 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- December 2019Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: OutstandingResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
Read what inspectors found at Benton Care Services Limited →
- June 2017GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
Read what inspectors found at Benton Care Services Limited →
- November 2015
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 6 November 2015.
Ratings and report dates from the Care Quality Commission, Open Government Licence v3.0. A home can also be visited without a new rating being published, so the timeline shows published inspections.
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47 live-in carers within about an hour of County Durham
These are self-employed carers on PrimeCarers, the introductory agency that runs this directory. Each has a profile with their own rates and reviews from families, and you choose who to talk to.
Most charge £960 to £1,210 a week. 42 can care for a couple. 10 years' experience on average.
“Petty introduced herself to Mum every time she was caring for her and responded very quickly to Mum if she was distressed in the night.”
Every carer has had an enhanced DBS check in the last 18 months, ID and right-to-work checks and an online interview. Their skills and training are for you to check with them. Carers set their own rates, and who is free changes week to week.