We carried out a review of the data available to us about Brooke House on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about Brooke House, you can give feedback on this service.
The service has eight rooms in the main house with an attached flat which can house one additional person. The house is laid out over two floors with shared living space and a kitchen on the ground floor. At the time of the inspection there were four people living in the home and one person living in the flat.
At our last inspection we rated the service as Good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.
People living at Brooke House were safe from abuse or neglect. Allegations and incidents were reported and investigated appropriately. Steps were taken to ensure only appropriate staff were recruited and there were enough staff to support people’s needs.
The service was clean and well maintained. People were taught about food hygiene to support them in safely managing their own food and cooking.
People’s risks were assessed and support plans were put in place to minimise risks to people while giving them as much freedom as possible. Medicines were managed safely and people could manage their own medication if appropriate.
People were supported by staff who were trained and skilled. Care and support plans were personalised and detailed to meet people’s needs and preferences. People’s independence and individuality was respected and celebrated by staff.
Staff used different methods to communicate with people and wrote care plans in ways people could understand. People’s care and support plans aimed to develop skills and independence to help them meet their goals.
Staff had a good rapport with people and treated people with kindness and respect. Staff knew people well and understood how to support them, their preferences and personal histories.
People and staff spoke highly of the deputy manager and of the quality improvement lead. At the time of the inspection the registered manager had left the previous week. There were good support arrangements in place while the provider recruited a new manager. There were good processes in place to check the quality of the service and there was a clear plan of improvement in place.
Further information is in the detailed findings below.
We carried out this inspection on 10 and 13 November 2015. The inspection was unannounced. Brooke House provides accommodation and support for up to nine people with a learning disability or who have autism spectrum disorder. There were nine people living at the home when we carried out the inspection.
The home had a registered manager. 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.
People felt safe living at Brooke House and people were very much at the heart of the service. People were supported to take informed risks. Risk assessments had been completed for the environment and safety checks were conducted regularly of gas and electrical equipment. Staff had received training in safeguarding adults and knew how to identify, prevent and report abuse.
People were supported to receive their medicines safely from suitably trained staff. There were enough staff to meet people’s needs. People were involved in the recruitment process and relevant checks were conducted before staff started working at Brooke House to make sure staff were of good character and had the necessary skills. Staff received regular supervision and appraisals where they could discuss their training and development needs.
Staff sought consent from people before providing care or support. Decisions were taken in the best interests of people.
People were treated with kindness, compassion and respect and staff promoted people’s independence and right to privacy. Staff knew what was important to people and encouraged them to be as independent as possible. People were supported and encouraged to make choices and had access to a range of activities tailored to their specific interests.
Care plans provided comprehensive information about how people wished to receive care and support. This helped ensure people received personalised care in a way that met their individual needs. ‘Residents meetings’ and surveys encouraged people to provide feedback, which was used to improve the service.
People liked living at the home and felt it was well-led. There was an open and transparent culture with people able to access the community as part of their daily activities. There were appropriate management arrangements in place. Staff and people told us they were encouraged to talk to the registered manager about any concerns. Regular audits of the service were carried out to assess and monitor the quality of the service.
Care plans and risk assessments were in place to support people's needs and independence. People were supported to live an independent life and encouraged to be part of the local community. Staff completed training in safeguarding adults and were aware of their responsibilities to report any concerns.
People were consulted and their views were sought about the care they were receiving. There was a process in place to deal with any concerns and complaints. We saw the staff followed their internal complaints process and responded to people's complaints as required.
Staff were friendly, respectful and courteous when speaking with people. The care plans were detailed and reflected people's needs and staff said this was helpful in informing their practices. People were supported to plan the home's menu and they were offered a varied diet.
Appropriate arrangements were in place for the management of people's medicines. People were supported to be part of the local community and undertook community based activities including attending college. People had access to healthcare professionals and treatment as needed. There was a recruitment process and all necessary staff checks were carried out. There was an internal process for complaints.
In this report the name of a registered manager appears who was not in post and not managing the regulatory activities at the time of the inspection. Their name appears as they were still a Registered Manager on our register at the time.
They said that they would approach the manager and their support workers with any concerns and were confident these would be addressed. People told us that if they had any problems they could talk to the staff.
People discussed their plans for their Summer holiday to Spain. Another person told us that they went out to work four to five days a week and loved their job. One person told us about moving into the flat next door, as part of their gradual progression to independent living. People also told us that they had joined the gym and would not have been able to achieve this without the staff's support.