Brownlands Nursing Home

Updated 15 February 2022

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.

As part of CQC’s response to care homes with outbreaks of COVID-19, we are conducting reviews to ensure that the Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) practice is safe and that services are compliant with IPC measures. This was a targeted inspection looking at the IPC practices the provider has in place. We also asked the provider about any staffing pressures the service was experiencing and whether this was having an impact on the service

This inspection took place on 02 February 2022 and was unannounced.

Updated 15 February 2022

This inspection took place on 6 and 7 December 2017 and was unannounced.

This was the second comprehensive inspection at Brownlands Nursing Home.

Brownlands Nursing Home is a care home with nursing. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection. The care home accommodates up to 31 people in one adapted building. On the day of our visit, 27 people were using the service.

At the first comprehensive inspection on 10 November 2016, we rated the service ‘Requires Improvement’. We served a fixed penalty notice under Section 33 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008. This was because the provider had not complied with the conditions of their registration to have a registered manager in post. The provider was also in breach of regulation 17 of The Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 Good Governance. This was because sufficient arrangements were not in place to monitor and manage the quality and safety of the care and support provided for people at the service.

Since the inspection a registered manager had took up post on 8 March 2017. 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 this inspection, we found that the registered manager had taken sufficient action to meet the breach of regulation and drive improvement in all areas at the service. The registered manager and staff strived to continue to make improvements to the service by using lessons learnt from feedback received from people using the service, relatives, staff and health and social care professionals.

The registered manager promoted an open transparent culture, which involved people using the service, relatives and staff. They invited people to provide feedback about the service, which they used to analyse the quality of their care, to make positive changes to drive improvement.

Risk assessments supported people to stay safe and took into account people’s rights to take risks and have their freedom respected. People received care that continuously met their assessed needs. The assessments were reviewed and updated. The registered manager took prompt action to address any concerns about people’s safety.

There were enough staff deployed to meet people's assessed needs. Staff understood their roles and responsibilities to safeguard people from the risks of harm or abuse. Safe recruitment and selection processes were followed to ensure staff were suitable to work at the service.

Staff received appropriate training and support to carry out their roles. People were provided with meals that were varied and nutritious and they were supported to eat and drink sufficient amounts to maintain their health and well-being. People were supported to access appropriate health and social care professionals as and when needed. Staff followed best practice infection control guidelines to control the risks of the spread of infection. Systems were in place to manage medicines in a safe way.

Staff understood the principles of the Mental Capacity Act, 2005 (MCA). They sought people's consent and involved people in the planning of their care so to have maximum choice and control of their lives. Staff understood the principles of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) and supported people in the least restrictive way possible.

Staff protected people’s privacy and dignity. Staff, people using the service and relatives had developed positive relationships. Staff had a good understanding of people's backgrounds, needs and preferences. People’s views were valued and acted on.

Information was available to people on how to make a complaint. People using the service and their relatives knew how to raise a concern or make a complaint. They were confident the registered manager would respond to any complaints appropriately.