We inspected Barton Brook Nursing and Residential Home on 12 August 2014. This was an unannounced inspection which meant the staff and provider did not know we would be visiting.
Barton Brook Nursing and Residential Home provides nursing and personal care for a maximum of 120 people, some of whom were living with a dementia related condition. The home had four units, which consisted of two general nursing units (Brindley and Irwell), a residential care unit (Monton) and a dementia unit (Moss). At the time of our visit the home was fully occupied with the exception of two vacant beds in the Brindley Unit.
There was a registered manager in place. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service and has the legal responsibility for meeting the requirements of the law; as does the provider.
We found one breach of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2010 in relation to the management of medicines. You can see what action we told the provider to take at the back of the full version of the report.
Although we saw systems were in place to safeguard people who lived at the home, we found people were not safe because medication was not handled safely in the Irwell unit. These issues related to the ordering, storage, administration and recording of medication for certain people. This placed people who lived at the home at risk.
During our visit we saw staff had developed a good relationship with the people in their care. People and their relatives spoke very positively about the service and told us they felt safe and well cared for. One person told us, “It’s very good here. The staff are excellent. The unit manager is impressive. I’m treated very well”.
The registered manager assessed staffing levels to ensure there were enough staff to meet the needs of people who lived at the home. We observed staff made time for people whenever required and patiently explained things to people so they didn’t feel rushed.
We found people were involved in decisions about their care and were supported to make choices as part of their daily life. People had a detailed care plan, which covered their support needs and personal wishes. We saw plans had been reviewed and updated at regular intervals. This meant staff had up to date information about people’s needs and wishes. Records of peoples care showed there was a personalised approach to care delivery and that people were treated as individuals.
Each unit at the home was led by a ‘House Manager’ or lead nurse and their work was overseen by the registered manager. Staff spoke positively about their work and confirmed they were supported by the registered manager. Staff received regular training to make sure they had the skills and knowledge to meet people’s needs.
The management team used a variety of methods to assess and monitor the quality of the service. These included satisfaction surveys, ‘residents meetings’ and care plan reviews.