Branksome Park Care Centre

Updated 18 August 2022

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.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by three inspectors, a specialist advisor nurse and a pharmacist specialist.

Service and service type

Branksome Park Care Centre 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. Branksome Park Care Centre is a care home with nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Registered Manager

This service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

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

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority safeguarding and commissioning teams. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). 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 used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We communicated with 10 people who used the service and six relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with and received feedback from 16 members of staff including the registered manager, managing director, facilities director, clinical lead, senior nurse, nurse assistant, care assistants, wellbeing lead, chef and housekeeping staff. We received feedback from three health and social care professionals who work with the home. We used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI). SOFI is a way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us.

We reviewed a range of records. This included 12 people's care records and nine medication records. We looked at three staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the registered manager and managing director to validate evidence found. We looked at training data, policies and procedures. We received additional documents and evidence in a timely manner.

Updated 18 August 2022

About the service

Branksome Park Care Centre is a purpose-built home in a residential area of Poole. It is registered to provide nursing care, treatment and rehabilitation for up to 59 people over the age of 18 some of whom were living with chronic and complex neurological conditions. The home is split over three floors which are accessible by stairs or a lift. There were 58 people receiving a service at the time of inspection.

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

People, their relatives and staff told us they felt safe living at Branksome Park Care Centre, there were enough staff to meet people’s needs. The home was busy, with a calm and welcoming atmosphere. People were protected from the risk of avoidable infection as infection prevention and control procedures were in place.

The registered manager and senior management team had made numerous improvements within the home since our last inspection. Governance systems within the home were operating effectively and had enabled them to identify further improvements such as with care planning and communication.

People received their medicines as prescribed. However, we identified some areas where information was required or could be strengthened. The registered manager and the clinical team took immediate action to rectify those areas. There was no impact to people identified.

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. People had the necessary capacity assessments and legal processes in place to ensure their rights were fully respected.

Staff were trained well, understood their role, responsibilities and felt supported. Staff only worked within their scope of competence. Recruitment procedures were robust. People had access to enough food and drink. The home worked well with a variety of health and social care specialists and professionals. We were told the home was proactive and responsive where people’s medical needs were concerned.

Risk assessments and care plans were in place for people’s care and support. However, records had been transferred to a new electronic system and were not always person centred or consistent. The home had recognised this and while the transfer took place, the registered manager had mitigated the risks to people by allocating staff to specific people and areas of the home and running another electronic daily planner which held up to date information about people’s needs. Increased checks of care and compliance had been actioned and the registered manager and clinical lead were continuously monitoring. There were clear, realistic timescales in place for completion.

People had access to a wide variety of activities and opportunities. People were encouraged and supported with independence. People and their relatives told us staff treated them with dignity and respect.

We received positive feedback about the management of Branksome Park Care Centre. The home was open in their approach to learning and driving improvements.

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

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was outstanding (published 6 December 2018).

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.