The Goldbridge

We found the following examples of good practice:

The provider ensured flexibility in how the service was run in order to meet people’s needs. For example, over the Christmas period people had a choice of either having relatives visit them within the home or people could go and visit their families. The management team ensured all measures, such as COVID-19 testing, followed government guidance. They also increased staffing levels to make this happen.

The provider assessed people’s individual needs, including their communication needs. The management team ensured staff had access to transparent visors which they could wear when supporting people who found it difficult or distressing to communicate with staff wearing standard face masks.

The design and layout of the premises enabled effective social distancing. People’s rooms had en-suite showers; there were two corridors per floor and there were wide corridors. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the provider had installed a ‘pod’ to facilitate remote alternatives to face to face visits, when necessary or preferred.

The provider’s approach to facilitating safe visiting aligned to government guidance and was risk assessment based. Where people’s relatives opted for an essential caregiver status, they, as well as the relatives of people receiving end of life care, had unrestricted access to see their loved ones. The management team kept people’s families updated with any changes and updates including the changes to visiting arrangements.

The Goldbridge is a care home with nursing registered to provide accommodation for up to 64 people with various health conditions, including dementia, frailty and sensory impairment. There were 47 people living at the service on the day of our inspection.

People’s experience of using this service

People and relatives were happy with the care they received, felt relaxed with staff and told us they were treated with kindness. They said they felt safe, were well supported and there were sufficient staff to care for them. Our own observations supported this, and we saw friendly relationships had developed between people and staff. One person told us, “I am happy as I can be, they [staff] are very caring.”

People and their relatives thought the service was well managed and they enjoyed living there. A relative told us, “The carers and the nurses are delightful people, some of the nurses are absolute sweethearts. They are of good quality and very friendly. They are really special people here.”

The provider had systems of quality assurance to measure and monitor the standard of the service and drive improvement. People’s medicines were managed safely and they received care from dedicated and motivated staff.

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.

We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the Safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.

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 29 March 2019).

Why we inspected

We received concerns in relation to the way the service managed the treatment of people who needed specific care around pressure damage and wound care. As a result, we undertook a focused inspection to review the key questions of safe and well-led only. We found no evidence during this inspection that people were at risk of harm from this concern.

We reviewed the information we held about the service. No areas of concern were identified in the key question of effective, caring and responsive. We therefore did not inspect these. Ratings from previous comprehensive inspections for those key questions were used in calculating the overall rating at this inspection.

The overall rating for the service has remained as Good. This is based on the findings at this inspection.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor the intelligence we receive about this home and plan to inspect in line with our re-inspection schedule for those services rated Good. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.

The Goldbridge is a care home registered to provide nursing and residential care and accommodation for 64 people with various health conditions, including dementia and diabetes. There were 34 people living at the service on the day of our inspection. The Goldbridge is a purpose built, new build care home located in Haywards Heath, West Sussex.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

People’s experience of using this service:

• People were happy with the care they received, felt relaxed with staff and told us they were treated with kindness. They said they felt safe, were well supported and there were sufficient staff to care for them.

• Our own observations supported this and we saw friendly relationships had developed between people and staff. One person told us, “They are wonderful, they get to know you very well. It is just in them to be so good. I can get up and go to bed when I like and I have support when I want it. I have no complaints, I am very happy”.

• People enjoyed an independent lifestyle and told us their needs were met. They enjoyed the food, drink and activities that took place daily. One person told us, “They have a lot of musical entertainers visiting the home. We ended up dancing, the violin was wonderful. If I can join in, I will”. A visitor said, “The chefs do get it right as [my relative] is not easy with their food”.

• People felt the service was homely and welcoming to them and their visitors. One person told us about their birthday party that staff had organised, they said, “It was a wonderful party with a huge birthday cake made by the chef and sandwiches in the lounge”. A visitor added, “We are made to feel part of the family, we can make drinks whenever we like”.

• People told us they thought the service was well managed and they enjoyed living there. A visitor told us, “They know all the residents. Nowhere is perfect but this is as close as you can get, I can’t rate it highly enough”.

• Staff had received essential training and it was clear from observing the care delivered and the feedback people and staff gave us, that they knew the best way to care for people in line with their needs and preferences. A member of staff told us, “I have been empowered to learn and carry out my role well”.

• The provider had systems of quality assurance to measure and monitor the standard of the service and drive improvement. These systems also supported people to stay safe by assessing and mitigating risks, ensuring that people were cared for in a person centred way and that the provider learned from any mistakes.

• Our own observations and the feedback we received supported this. People received high quality care that met their needs and improved their wellbeing from dedicated and enthusiastic staff. A member of staff told us, “We care, this is a passion, not just a job”.

Rating at last inspection: This was the first inspection of the service.

Why we inspected: This service was registered by CQC on 22 March 2018. The Goldbridge has not been previously been inspected.

Follow up: We will continue to monitor the intelligence we receive about this home and plan to inspect in line with our re-inspection schedule for those services rated Good.