Archived: Bracken House

Updated 29 March 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.

We inspected this service on 1 March and 5 March 2018. The inspection was unannounced. The inspection was carried out by one inspector, supported on the first day by an expert by experience. An expert by experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Whilst planning the inspection we looked at information the provider sent us in the Provider Information Return. This is information we require providers to send us at least once annually to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We also looked at the information we held about the service and the provider, including notifications the provider is required to send us by law about significant events at the home. We reviewed this information when we planned the inspection.

We spoke with five people who used the service and five relatives. Some people were unable to converse with us so we observed care in the communal areas of the home to see how staff interacted and supported people. We also spoke with the registered manager, the deputy manager, four members of the care staff and a visiting health care professional. We looked at three care plans to see if they reflected the care people received. We also looked at records related to the management of the service including their audit process, minutes from meetings and complaints. We also looked at two recruitment files to check that a suitable employment process was in place.

Updated 29 March 2018

We inspected this service on 1 March and 5 March 2018. The inspection was unannounced. At our last inspection on 21 January 2016 the provider was meeting the relevant requirements of their registration with us and was rated as good in all domains. 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 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.

Bracken House is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection. Bracken House is a two storey building within a residential area and is registered to provide personal care for up to 30 people who are living with dementia. There were 29 people living in the home at the time of our inspection.

There was a registered manager in post. 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.

There was a strong management team. Staff showed commitment and were keen to provide people and relatives with a care experience that met and exceeded their expectations. The registered manager encouraged staff to be collaborative and imaginative in the way they provided care which recognised that people were at the heart of their service.

People and their families contributed to their care planning and the elements which were most important to them were identified. Staff knew people well and reviewed their needs regularly to ensure the care they were provided with met their requirements.

People benefitted from activities provided by staff which were innovative and introduced people to new experiences, such as the use of information technology. Staff understood the importance of providing people living with dementia opportunities to reminisce and provided them with calming support when they felt unsettled. People’s spiritual needs were identified and there were arrangements in place to support them with their chosen faith.

People were protected from harm. Staff knew how to recognise abuse and the actions they must take to ensure people remained safe. People’s risks were identified. Their care plans and the support they received reflected the most appropriate management of them. Staffing levels were reviewed regularly as people’s needs changed to ensure there were sufficient staff to care for them. Recruitment processes ensured that staff completed the necessary screening before they were able to work with people.

Medicines were managed safely. There were checks in place to monitor staff competency and the accuracy of medicines ordering, storage and administration. Staff followed infection control best practice and had training in food hygiene to protect people.

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 support this practice.

Staff understood the importance of gaining consent from people and the actions they should take when people were unable to make decisions for themselves. Staff had access to training and support to improve their knowledge of care and enhance their skills. People were provided with a choice of nutritious food and plentiful drinks. Staff supported people to retain their independence and when support was required it was provided in a kind and reassuring manner which maintained people’s privacy and dignity. Healthcare professionals were consulted when people needed additional support and staff implemented the recommendations they received.

The registered manager listened to people’s opinions and took action to implement any improvements they highlighted. There was a complaints policy in place and people were encouraged to share their concerns. Audits and checks were in place to monitor the quality of the service and make improvements where needed. The registered manager was fulfilling the requirements of their registration with us.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.