Brook House

Updated 21 July 2023

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

As part of this inspection we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place. This was conducted so we can understand the preparedness of the service in preventing or managing an infection outbreak, and to identify good practice we can share with other services.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by 2 inspectors.

Service and service type

Brook House is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and/or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. Brook House is a care home without nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

Inspection activity started on 25 April 2023 and ended on 11 May 2023. We visited the service on 26 and 27 April 2023.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service, including information gathered as part of the registration process that took place in February 2022 and monitoring activity that took place in September 2022. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR) in March 2023. This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We sought information from partner agencies.

We used all this information to plan our inspection and inform our judgements.

During the inspection

We spoke with 5 people who used the service and 2 relatives. Some people could not give us feedback. We, therefore used informal observation to evaluate their experiences and to help us assess how their needs were being met. We also observed how staff interacted with people. We looked at records in relation to 6 people’s care.

We spoke with the registered manager, the deputy manager, the cook, domestic staff and 4 care staff. We looked at records relating to the recruitment, training and development of staff, management of the service and systems for checking the quality and safety of the service.

Updated 21 July 2023

About the service

Brook House is a residential care home providing personal care to up to 36 people in one adapted building. At the time of our inspection there were 19 people using the service. Some people were living with dementia.

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

Whilst the provider had refurbished the service to a very high standard, they had not, however, prioritised improvement in line with safety and risk such as fire and infection control.

The registered manager was creating a positive and inclusive culture at the home, with a supportive approach, developing strong and productive relationships with the staff team. However, improvement was needed to establish a regular one to one supervision programme for staff to strengthen their support. We have made a recommendation to the provider about this. The registered manager had formed good working relationships with external stakeholders and was honest and open about work which still needed doing.

Provider governance systems needed further development in order for them to provide an accurate overview of the service to inform an ongoing plan for improvement, enable proper monitoring and review, or enhance the quality of the service. This would complete the quality monitoring cycle and demonstrate the quality of the service was continually improving and developing to provide good outcomes for people.

Improvement was needed in dementia care provision and a review of staff moving and handling training. We have made recommendations to the provider about this.

The registered manager took appropriate action to safeguard people and care staff understood how to raise concerns. People told us they felt safe.

Staff treated people with kindness and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. Positive relationships had developed between people and staff. The home encouraged and supported people to maintain relationships that were important to them.

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.

The chef produced quality home cooked food that people enjoyed. Snacks and drinks were available when people wanted them. Peoples nutritional needs were well catered for.

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

Rating at last inspection

This service was registered with us on 08 March 2022 and this is the first inspection under the new legal entity.

The last rating for the service under the previous provider was requires improvement, published on 11 December 2019.

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

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.

Enforcement

We have identified a breach of regulation 12 in relation to fire safety and infection control at this inspection and a breach in Regulation 17 in relation to identifying failings in service provision and outcomes for people.

Please see the action we have told the provider to take at the end of this report.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.