The Brunswick

The Brunswick is a residential care home providing personal and nursing care to up to 58 people. The service provides support to older adults including those living with dementia. At the time of our inspection the service was supporting 45 people.

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

We were assured that the environment was safe and suitable, but we have made a recommendation about improving some parts of the environment to help people living with dementia better navigate communal areas of the home.

Medicines were managed and stored safely. People received their medicines as prescribed by staff who were competent to administer them.

Risks to people's health, safety and well-being were assessed. Staff had access to information about how to manage people's identified risks and support them in a safe way.

People received care by staff they knew and who were familiar with their needs and preferences. It was clear staff enjoyed warm and positive relationships with the people they supported. There were enough staff on duty to meet people’s needs in a timely manner.

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. Consent for care and support was being obtained in line with the principles of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005.

People's care and support needs were assessed and planned for according to their current needs and preferences. People and their relatives had a say in how their care and support was delivered.

We received consistently positive feedback from people and their relatives about the care and support provided by staff.

The registered manager helped to instil practices which were underpinned by values of compassion, kindness and the promotion of independence, values which were shared and practiced by staff. Staff told us how well supported and valued they were by the registered manager.

The service worked in conjunction with external professionals and used innovative practices to help achieve positive outcomes for people.

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.

Why we inspected

We carried out this inspection to award the service with an overall rating.

Follow up

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

We found the following examples of good practice.

There was a plentiful supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) available. We saw PPE being correctly used by staff. Staff had completed training in infection control and hand washing.

Cleaning was being managed throughout the home in accordance with government guidelines and the home was clean and hygienic on the day we visited.

Staff and people living at the home took part in a regular programme of testing for COVID-19 and the registered manager had clear oversight of this process. All staff and residents were supported to access COVID-19 vaccinations. All staff were vaccinated in accordance with legal requirements.

There were regular checks in place to ensure infection control standards were maintained.

The registered manager told us the provider was supportive and accessible for help and support if they needed it and had been in regular contact throughout the pandemic.