Brookfield

Updated 5 November 2019

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 Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

The inspection team consisted of two inspectors and 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.

Service and service type

Brookfield 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.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. 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.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed the information we held about the service and the service provider. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We looked at notifications received from the provider. A notification is information about important events which the provider is required to tell us about by law. This ensured we were addressing any areas of concern. We received feedback from two social and health care professionals who regularly visited people who received care from the service. We received feedback from the commissioners. We also reviewed the provider’s previous inspection reports. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with nine people and five relatives. We looked at five people’s care records and six medicine administration records (MAR). During the inspection we spent time with people. We looked around the home and observed the way staff interacted with people. We spoke with the registered manager, the area manager, the deputy manager and 10 staff which included, care staff, kitchen staff and domestic staff. 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 to validate evidence found.

Updated 5 November 2019

About the service

Brookfield is a residential care home providing personal and nursing care to 64 older people at the time of the inspection. The service can support up to 66 people.

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

People had excellent opportunities and access to a variety of activities to prevent social isolation. Social activities met people's individual needs and followed best practice guidance, so people could live as full a life as possible. Activities were overseen by a committed, passionate and experienced team of coordinators. People told us they enjoyed the activities provided and they felt they were inclusive. For example, men had requested a ‘man cave’ to allow them to do things that mainly they enjoyed. The service has gone the extra mile to find out what people have done in the past, evaluated whether it could accommodate activities, and made that happen. The provider facilitated a ‘Seize the Day’ initiative. This was an opportunity for people to enjoy a former pastime or visit a location that held special memories for them. The service made every effort to encourage and support people to develop and maintain relationships with people that matter to them. The service took a key role in the local community and was actively involved in building further links with the local community. Contact with other community resources and support networks was encouraged and sustained. These included, local schools, choirs and a baby yoga group. People told us they enjoyed and benefitted from these links.

People living at Brookfield told us they received safe care from skilled and knowledgeable staff. Staff knew how to identify and report any concerns. The provider had safe recruitment and selection processes in place.

Risks to people's safety and well-being were managed through a risk management process. There were sufficient staff deployed to meet people's needs and staff recruitment was on-going. Medicines were managed safely, and people received their medicines as prescribed.

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 were supported to maintain good health and to meet their nutritional needs.

People told us staff were caring. This ethos consistency enabled people to receive good care from staff who knew them well. Staff did all they could to promote independency and we saw examples of such practices.

The home was well-led by a registered manager who was focusing on improving people’s care and developing staff skills. A lot of significant changes had been implemented to support effective team working and improve people’s outcomes. The service had a clear management and staffing structure in place and staff worked well as a team. The provider had quality assurance systems in place to monitor the quality and safety of the service.

Rating at last inspection and update

The last rating for this service was good (published 13 April 2017).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.

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