Bracknell Forest Borough Council - Intermediate Care

Updated 18 May 2018

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, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

This inspection took place on 16 and 17 April 2018. It was announced and was carried out by one inspector. We gave the registered manager 48 hours' notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service and we needed to make sure someone would be in the office.

We used information the provider sent us in the Provider Information Return (PIR). This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. Prior to the inspection we looked at the PIR and all the information we had collected about the service. This included previous inspection reports, information received and notifications the registered manager had sent us. A notification is information about important events which the service is required to tell us about by law.

We spoke with the registered manager, the provider's nominated individual and the provider's head of community team for older people and long term conditions. We also spoke with members of the office staff team. As part of the inspection we sought feedback from 21 people who use the service and received responses from 10 as well as feedback from two of their relatives. We requested feedback from 35 community professionals and received responses from nine. We also requested feedback from 31 members of staff and received 13 responses.

We looked at four people's care plans, daily notes, monitoring records and medicine administration sheets. We saw staff recruitment files for the only two staff members who had been employed since our last inspection. We reviewed a number of other documents relating to the management of the service. For example, staff training records, staff supervision and appraisal log, audits, policies, incident forms, staff meeting minutes, compliments and concerns records.

Updated 18 May 2018

This inspection took place on 16 and 17 April 2018. It was announced and was carried out by one inspector. We gave the registered manager 48 hours' notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service and we needed to make sure someone would be in the office.

Bracknell Forest Borough Council - Intermediate Care is a domiciliary care service providing personal care to people living in Bracknell Forest. The service provides short term support and therapy to people in their own homes and is designed to maximise people's independence and reduce their need for long term packages of care. They also aim to facilitate safe discharge from hospital and prevent avoidable admission or readmission to hospital or care settings. People are provided with short term packages of care to increase their independence, usually lasting up to six weeks. Bracknell Forest Borough Council - Intermediate Care also provides end of life care as part of the services they provide for people in their own homes. At the time of our inspection the service was providing personal care to 37 people. In the year from April 2017 to March 2018 the service provided a reablement service to 416 people and 21 people received end of life care in their own homes.

At our last inspection we rated the service 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.

At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

Why the service is rated Good.

People were protected from the risks of abuse. Risks were identified and managed effectively to protect people from avoidable harm. Recruitment processes were in place to make sure, as far as possible, that people were protected from staff being employed who were not suitable. Medicines were stored and handled correctly and safely.

People received effective care and support from staff who knew them well and were well trained and supervised. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. People's right to make their own decisions were protected.

People were treated with care and kindness and their right to confidentiality was protected. People were treated with respect and their dignity was upheld. People were supported to maintain and increase their independence where reablement was their goal. Where people were receiving end of life care, staff were made aware of their needs and wishes. The service worked with healthcare professionals, including palliative care specialist, to make sure people had dignity, comfort and respect at the end of their life. People's diversity needs were identified and incorporated into their care plans where applicable.

People received care and support that was personalised to meet their individual needs. They knew how to complain and staff knew the process to follow if they had concerns.

People benefitted from a service which had an open and inclusive culture. Staff were happy working for the service and people benefitted from staff who felt well managed and supported.

Further information is in the detailed findings of the full report.