Borrage House

Updated 3 March 2021

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

We received information of concern about infection control and prevention measures at this service. This was a targeted inspection looking at the infection control and prevention measures the provider has in place.

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 coronavirus and other infection outbreaks effectively.

This inspection took place on 27 January 2021 and was announced.

Updated 3 March 2021

About the service

Borrage House provides accommodation and care for up to 40 older people and people living with dementia. Accommodation is provided in a detached building, which has been adapted and extended. At the time of this inspection the service was providing care for 32 people.

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

Staff were not consistently completing monitoring charts when these were required. For one person, a positive behaviour support plan had not been put in place in a timely manner. This meant staff did not have the necessary guidance and support to ensure the care they offered was consistent and safe.

We have made a recommendation around the assessment, monitoring and management of risk.

Good systems were in place to protect people from abuse, to manage the potential spread of infection and manage people’s medicines safely. There were enough, suitable staff employed to make sure people received prompt care and support. Staff reported incidents, and these were investigated, and lessons learned.

The premises and equipment were generally maintained to a good standard of repair. Suitable adaptations had been made to support the specialised care needs of people living with dementia.

Staff received appropriate support and training to fulfil their roles effectively. 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.

Staff cared for people with compassion and kindness and treated them with dignity and respect. People were involved in decisions about their care and were asked for ideas and suggestions on the running of the service.

Staff treated people as individuals. Emphasis was given to promoting social inclusion and integration and this was a feature of the service. We heard of numerous examples when people had attended local events or of shared activities with schoolchildren and visitors. Relatives commented positively on the quality of care provided and said they knew who to speak with if they had any concerns or issues they wished to raise.

Despite suggesting improvements regarding the monitoring and management of health conditions overall the service was well managed and organised. The registered manager fostered positive relationships between people who used the service, relatives and staff. We were impressed with the relaxed atmosphere and staff kindness, warmth and patience throughout the inspection.

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

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was good (published 27 June 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.