Background to this inspection
Updated
30 October 2019
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.
Inspection team
One inspector completed this inspection.
Service and service type
Brett Vale is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as 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.
Notice of inspection
This inspection was unannounced.
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 and professionals who work 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. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We met everyone who used the service and spoke with those that chose to and could speak with us. 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 spoke with six members of staff and the registered manager.
We reviewed a range of records. This included two people’s care records and multiple medication records. We looked at two staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.
After the inspection
We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at training data and quality assurance records.
Updated
30 October 2019
About the service
Brett Vale is a residential care home providing personal care to 10 adults who have a learning disability and or autism.
The accommodation was in a rural setting with extensive grounds. Each person had their own room with en-suite and they shared large communal facilities if they chose to.
The service has been developed and designed in line with the principles and values that underpin Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. This ensures that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes. The principles reflect the need for people with learning disabilities and/or autism to live meaningful lives that include control, choice, and independence. People using the service receive planned and co-ordinated person-centred support that is appropriate and inclusive for them.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People lived in well maintained and appropriate accommodation that enabled them to live a lifestyle of their choosing. People had a choice about how they lived their life. There were facilities such as a hot tub and plenty of activities to be involved with and extensive grounds and local countryside to explore with staff support. Some people attended local day services.
There were appropriate staff numbers to enable people to maximise their potential. Staff were well trained and supported. There were good communication systems in place that enabled them to know how people needed to be supported on that day. Staff knew how to support people with distressed behaviour and were given suitable training. Staff knew people well and had developed positive relationships and people told us they were happy to live at Brett Vale.
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. People's support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible for them to gain new skills and become more independent.
There were good quality monitoring processes in place. The owner of the service had good oversight.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
The last rating for this service was good (published on 28 February 2017).
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Brett Vale on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.