This inspection took place on the 2 July 2018 and was unannounced. Newbrae Care Home Limited is a care home. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. The Care Quality Commission regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection. The service accommodates up to 10 older people, some of whom may be living with dementia related needs. At the time of our inspection, 10 people were living at the home.
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.
People told us they felt safe living at Newbrae Care Home. Staff were aware of their responsibilities to keep people safe and to protect them from the risk of harm and abuse. Risks to people’s health and wellbeing were appropriately assessed, managed and reviewed.
There were effective systems in place to ensure suitable staff were recruited; this ensured people were protected from the risk of avoidable harm. People were cared for by a consistent staff team and there were sufficient staffing levels to meet people’s needs. There were effective systems in place for the safe management of medicines. People received their medication as prescribed from staff who were trained and assessed as competent to do so.
People were protected from the risk of the spread of infection. People lived in a clean environment and regular health and safety checks were undertaken of the environment; this included the maintenance and servicing of equipment. There was a business continuity plan in place in the event of an emergency. Accidents and incidents were monitored to ensure any trends were identified and appropriately managed.
Staff received regular supervision and support to enable them to acquire the skills and knowledge to meet people’s care needs. People's dietary needs were met and people were supported to maintain a healthy and balanced diet. Where required, people were supported to access health and social care professionals.
People are supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff support them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service support this practice. Staff had established good relationships with people and were kind and sensitive to their needs, ensuring people's privacy and dignity was respected at all times. People's independence was promoted and they were encouraged to do as much as they could for themselves. Visitors were made to feel welcome and staff encouraged people to keep in contact with those who were important to them.
The service was responsive to people’s individual needs. People and their relatives were involved in the planning and review of their care. Care plans were comprehensive and contained information and guidance, including people's preferences and individual needs and how they wished to be cared for. Care plans were reviewed regularly, or as and when people’s needs changed. Staff shared information effectively which meant any changes in people's needs were responded to appropriately.
People were supported to spend their time as they wished, and had the opportunity to participate in activities and pursue their hobbies and interests.
There was a positive and open culture at Newbrae Care Home. Staff felt valued and enjoyed working at the home and were clear about the ethos and aims of the service. They shared the registered manager’s commitment to providing good quality care.
There were effective systems in place to regularly assess and monitor the quality of the service and drive improvements. This included opportunities for people, relatives and staff to say how they felt about the home and to make suggestions. The service had a complaints procedure in place which was clearly displayed. This provided information on the process and the timespan for response; relatives were confident that any concerns would be listened to and acted upon.