Meadowbrook House

Updated 14 April 2021

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 coronavirus, we are conducting reviews to ensure that the Infection Prevention and Control practice was safe and the service was compliant with IPC measures. This was a targeted inspection looking at the IPC practices the provider has in place.

This inspection took place on 9 March 2021 and was announced.

Updated 14 April 2021

About the service:

Meadowbrook provides accommodation with personal care for up 42 predominately older people. There were 33 people using the service at the time of our inspection.

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

The service worked closely with healthcare professionals to improve the care provided to people living at Meadowbrook. The service was involved in a best practice pilot to reduce the use of prescribed nutritional supplements.

Meadowbrook had joined a project to help facilitate timely discharge from hospital. The registered manager visited the hospitals to assess people who may benefit from a short stay in a care home to be re-enabled to return to independent living, or who were waiting for a package of care from an agency.

People were provided with effective care by staff who were well trained and supported. Staff were happy and felt valued.

Care plans were accurate, up to date and regularly reviewed. Risk assessments provided staff with sufficient guidance and direction to provide person-centred care and support.

Staff were safely recruited. There were enough staff to meet people’s needs. Staff had time to provide person-centred care in a calm and relaxed manner.

People were supported to access healthcare services, staff recognised changes in people's health, and sought professional advice appropriately.

The registered manager listened to people’s feedback. Staff ideas were implemented, and relatives were supported to share their ideas about the running of the service.

The service was clean and free from malodours. There were robust infection control processes in place. Staff had access to personal protective equipment, such as gloves and aprons. These were used effectively to help reduce the risk of cross infection.

Medicine systems and processes were in place. People received their medicines when prescribed.

People were provided with the equipment they had been assessed as needing to meet their needs. For example, pressure relieving mattresses. These were correctly set for the person using them.

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 told us, “You can't fault the place,” "They are always enough staff around to keep us all safe” and " They always keep popping into my room to ask if I'm ok."

Relatives told us, “My relative has improved 100% since she has been here" and "Everywhere is so clean and tidy, the home is spotless."

There were systems and processes in place to monitor the Mental Capacity Act, and associated Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards assessments and records.

There were varied activities provided for people. The activity co-ordinator was supporting people to enjoy activities of their choice. People were supported to go out in to the local area as they wished.

Effective audits were carried out regularly to monitor the service provided. Actions from these audits were being acted upon to further improve the service.

We observed many very kind and caring interactions between staff and people. Staff spent time chatting with people as they moved around the service.

Many compliments had been received from grateful families. Any complaints were recorded, and responses were seen. There were no on-going complaints at the time of this inspection.

The registered manager had regular communication with people, their families and friends to seek their views and experiences of the service provided.

Rating at last inspection and update:

At the last inspection the service was rated as requires improvement (report published 28 August 2018) and we issued requirement notices and imposed a condition on the providers registration of the service which required the service to report to CQC each month on areas of concern identified at that inspection.The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve. At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations. Positive conditions applied after the previous inspection in August 2018 were met.

Why we inspected: This inspection was carried out to ensure improvements required at the last inspection had been made.

Follow up: We will return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.

Full information about CQC’s regulatory response to enforcement action being taken following this inspection is added to reports after any representations and appeals have been concluded.

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