Updated 17 February 2021
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 Care Act 2014.
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 undertaken by one inspector.
Service and service type
Briarwood is 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.
The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided. The registered manager was on leave during the inspection and a manager from another service was overseeing the day to day running of the home.
Notice of inspection
We gave a short period of notice on the morning of the inspection to ascertain the current status of the home in relation to any Covid-19 infections and to ensure the inspection could go ahead safely.
What we did before the inspection
We reviewed information we had received about the service since the service was registered. We sought feedback from the local authority who contract with the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We sought feedback from the local authority, Health and Safety Executive, Public Health England and other professionals who work with the service. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke with the manager, acting clinical lead and head of older people’s services during the inspection. We reviewed a range of records. This included people’s care records and risk assessments. We looked at staff rotas and records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.
After the inspection
We spoke with two people who reside in the home. We also spoke with a nurse and a care worker via telephone interviews. We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at policies, quality assurance records, staff records and risk assessments.