Brooklands Care Home

Updated 8 November 2022

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

As part of this inspection we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place. This was conducted so we can understand the preparedness of the service in preventing or managing an infection outbreak, and to identify good practice we can share with other services.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by 1 inspector.

Service and service type

Brooklands Care home is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and/or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. Brooklands Care home is a care home without nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

Inspection activity started on 19 October 2022 and ended on 26 October 2022. We visited the service on 19 October 2022.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with 9 members of staff including the registered manager, deputy manager, senior care staff, care staff and domestic staff. We spoke with 3 people and 4 relatives about their experiences of care their loved ones received. We also spoke with a visiting health professional. We used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI). SOFI is a way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us.

We reviewed a range of records including 4 people's care records, multiple medication administration records, and 2 staff personnel files in relation to recruitment. We also reviewed a variety of records relating to the management and governance of the service.

We reviewed evidence that was sent to us remotely as well as seeking clarification from the provider and manager to validate evidence found. We looked at audit and governance data, as well as policies and procedures.

Updated 8 November 2022

About the service

Brooklands Care Home is a residential care home providing personal care to 43 people at the time of the inspection. The home can support up to 43 people in one adapted building. The home has two floors which specialised in caring for people who are living with dementia.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ is the guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements about services supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people and providers must have regard to it.

At the time of the inspection, the location did not care or support for anyone with a learning disability or an autistic person. However, we assessed the care provision under Right Support, Right Care, Right Culture, as it is registered as a specialist service for this population group.

Right Support: People were respected as individuals and their preferences were respected and promoted.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

Right Care: People received care that was person centred.

Right Culture: Staff were caring, compassionate and treated people with respect.

People and relatives told us they felt safe in the care of staff. Risk was thoroughly assessed, monitored and mitigated. People had personalised risk assessments which were detailed and gave staff the information needed to manage the risks associated with people's care. Accidents and incidents were appropriately recorded and responded to. Recruitment practices were safe and there were enough suitably qualified staff to support people. Effective processes were in place to ensure medicines were ordered, stored and administered as prescribed. Staff followed infection prevention and control guidance to minimise the risk of infection spreading.

People's needs were assessed when they first started using the service and assessments were detailed. People's care plans were detailed about individual needs and preferences relating to food and drink. There were effective systems in place for staff to escalate any concerns they had about people's health, ensuring appropriate input and advice from relevant health professionals was sought. Staff received an induction and completed mandatory training to enable them to carry out their job roles effectively. The service was designed to meet the needs of people, including those who lived with dementia.

Relatives were positive about the care and support their loved ones received and told us staff go above and beyond to ensure their loved ones are well cared for. A person told us, They [staff] treat me well all the time, they’re very nice really. They help me when I get upset.” People and, where appropriate, their relatives were involved in decisions about their ongoing care and treatment. People received sensitive support to maintain their privacy, dignity and independence.

People received a responsive and person-centred service. The registered manager recognised people as individuals with different needs. Care and support was delivered in a way that met those needs. The provider understood the importance of making information accessible and meaningful. Staff enabled people to maintain relationships with relatives and friends. Relatives spoke highly of how the home had improved the lives of their loved ones. The home had an activities co-ordinator and people had opportunities to take part in activities that were meaningful to them. There was an effective complaints management system in place.

There was a strong focus on continuous learning at all levels of the organisation. The quality and safety of the service was well monitored. People achieved good outcomes because of effective partnership working. A visiting health professional told us, “[Registered manager] is conscientious, I have no concerns about anybody being neglected and no concerns about the standard of care provided.” The registered manager gathered feedback from people, relatives and staff and understood the importance of using this feedback to improve the home.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection

This service was registered with us on 19 July 2021 and this is the first inspection.

The last rating for the service under the previous provider was good, published on 8 February 2020.

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the Safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.