Archived: Brampton Lodge

We found the following examples of good practice.

Staff received relevant infection prevention and control training and were familiar with different infection prevention and control arrangements and procedures that needed to be followed.

Staff were observed wearing the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) as a measure of managing and containing the spread of infections.

Staff had access to ample supplies of PPE; there were clear ordering processes in place to ensure PPE was readily available.

The provider ensured regular testing was in place for both people living at the home and staff who worked there.

Relatives were supported to maintain contact with people who lived at Brampton Lodge. For example, A ‘summer house’ (an external building) had been created for family members to visit without the need to access the main service.

The provider developed and maintained effective professional relationships with local GP’s, infection prevention control teams, clinical support leads and enhanced care home support teams; people continued to receive a holistic level of care.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

Brampton Lodge is a residential care home providing accommodation and nursing, personal and intermediate care for up to 59 older people, some of whom are living with dementia. The service is provided by Care Concepts (Appleton) Limited. At the time of our inspection the service was providing accommodation to 59 people.

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

People living at Brampton Lodge and their relatives told us that their experience of using the service was overall very positive and very caring. People consistently told us how they were treated with exceptional kindness, compassion and respect. We received overwhelmingly positive feedback on how staff were supportive and went the extra mile to get care just right for people.

People were truly placed at the centre of the service and were consulted on every level. Respect for privacy and dignity was at the heart of the service’s culture and values. It is embedded in everything that the service and its staff do. People and staff felt respected, listened to, and enabled to make changes based on their suggestions.

People received personalised care and support specific to their needs and preferences. Each person was respected as an individual, with their own social and cultural diversity, values and beliefs. Staff sought individual ways to truly meet people's needs and requests. They researched ways and challenges to support people with their aspirations to engage in hobbies and activities they used to enjoy and still wanted to be part of.

The service continued to offer a good service. They remained at the heart of the local community with strong community links with a whole host of different community groups regularly visiting and people accessing their community. They had developed the roles of 'End of life champions' to help them concentrate on developing their support to people and their families. The provider supported staff to trial new initiatives and truly supported relatives to be comfortable and use the facilities both day and night. Memory books showed people's lives throughout their stay at the service and staff put their pictures together to present to families as something to remember their loved ones by.

Staff were motivated by and proud of the service. Staff were supported to obtain additional qualifications which they were proud to have achieved. There was a strong emphasis on continuous improvement with how the service could develop and improve for people living at Brampton Lodge. Safe recruitment systems were in place. People received care and support by staff who had been appropriately recruited and had undergone the necessary recruitment checks.

Safeguarding procedures were in place. Staff were familiar with safeguarding and whistleblowing reporting processes and understood the importance of keeping people safe.

We found that there was effective processes and systems in place to monitor the quality and safety of care people received. Quality assurance checks were routinely carried out and the provision of care was monitored, assessed and improved upon accordingly.

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

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 21 March 2017).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.

The home was previously inspected in July and August 2015 during which we found a breach of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 in relation to safe care and treatment. We found that medicines had not been managed in a safe way. We also found a breach of the Care Quality Commission (Registration) Regulations 2009 as the register person had failed to notify CQC of incidents of abuse or allegations of abuse.

During this inspection we found that the provider had taken action to address the breaches identified at the last inspection.

Brampton Lodge is a residential care home providing accommodation and nursing, personal and intermediate care for up to 59 older people, some of whom are living with dementia. The service is provided by Care Concepts (Appleton) Limited. At the time of our inspection the service was providing accommodation to 56 people.

All bedrooms are single, wheel chair accessible and have en-suite facilities which include a shower. Two passenger lifts are installed to enable access between the ground and first floor areas. The home is divided into four units and has four lounges and dining areas, a smaller lounge and various seating areas. There are three assisted bathrooms and a multipurpose room with hair salon.

At the time of the inspection a registered manager was in place. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

During our inspection of Brampton Lodge, we spent time talking with people using the service, their relatives and staff. We also undertook observations within the home. We saw that staff took take time to communicate and engage with people using the service and that people were treated with dignity and respect. Staff were also observed to be responsive and attentive to the needs of people using the service and people were empowered to follow their preferred routines.

The needs of people using the service had been assessed and planned for. Risk assessments had been completed alongside each care plan where appropriate, to help staff to identify and control potential and actual risks. Care and support plans viewed were person centred and included key information on what was important to people, their likes and dislikes, tips for promoting effective communication and key information on their support needs.

Staff recruitment systems were in place and information about prospective employees had been obtained to make sure staff did not pose a risk to people using the service.

Staff were supported through induction, regular on-going training and supervision to develop the necessary skills and competence for their roles.

People had access to health care professionals subject to their individual needs and medication was ordered, stored, administered and disposed of safely.

Corporate policies were in place relating to the MCA (Mental Capacity Act (2005) and DoLS (Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards). Staff had received training in relation to this protective legislation.

People had access to a range of activities available in the home and local community.

People had access to a choice of menu which offered a varied, balanced and wholesome diet.

Audits had been established to monitor service operations and systems were in place to safeguard people from abuse and to respond to complaints.

Relatives told us they felt very welcome in the home and were included to whatever level they wished to be. They could make themselves a drink whenever they visited and get involved in the many entertainments provided.

Staff were observed to treat the people living there with sensitivity, patience and respect. The staff we talked to felt well supported by both the manager and the providers and described a wide programme of training and development. Staff were very aware of potential abuse and knew what steps to take if they suspected it. The relatives told us that they had no concerns. One commented, 'I have no concerns, not a hint of it. '

We observed a range of audits in use to monitor the quality of the service provided. Both relatives and the people living in the home had regular opportunities to comment on the service by completing feedback questionnaires and attending meetings.

'It's marvellous, the staff are lovely'; 'We can't ask for anything more, the home is so beautiful they have thought of everything' and 'It's excellent.'

People living at the service were able to tell us that they were happy with the service. visitors told us that the standard of care was always very good whenever they visited. Visitors also told us they were always made to feel welcome when they visited and they were sometimes offered a cup of tea. They made a suggestion that it would be good to be able to make a cup of tea whenever they visited or to always be offered one when they visited. The provider advised they would review people's suggestions.

Staff were observed to treat the people living at the service in a dignified, friendly and respectful manner. We noted that everyone was well dressed and well groomed. We saw many examples of good communication and patience by care staff, who interacted with people in a positive manner.