Millbrook House

Updated 28 January 2023

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.

As part of this inspection we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place. This was conducted so we can understand the preparedness of the service in preventing or managing an infection outbreak, and to identify good practice we can share with other services.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by two inspectors on the first day and one on the second.

Millbrook House 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. Millbrook House 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 on both days.

What we did before inspection

We reviewed information about the service since it was registered. We sought feedback from the local authority and other professionals who work with the service. We used the information the provider sent to us on the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send to us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with 7 people who lived at the service and 5 relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with 7 members of staff including the nominated individual, registered manager, deputy manager, clinical lead and care staff. The nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed. This included 7 people's care records and multiple medication records. We looked at 4 staff files in relation to recruitment.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found.

Updated 28 January 2023

About the service

Millbrook House is a residential care home providing personal and nursing care to up to 60 people. The service provides support to people living with dementia and those with mental health issues. At the time of our inspection there were 50 people using the service. The care home accommodates people in one purpose-built building.

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

We have raised one recommendation in relation to the frequency of resident meetings.

The nature of people’s needs was such that it not always possible to directly gain their views. Two relatives had experienced delays in obtaining information about their relation’s support. This was fedback to the registered manager for action.

People were safe living at the service. They were relaxed and comfortable with the staff team. Risks faced by people in their daily lives were recognised and reviewed. Training and reporting systems enabled concerns to be raised.

Staff levels reflected people’s needs with many people being supported on a 1 to 1 basis. Staff had a good mix of skills and included experienced registered mental health nurses and other well trained and supervised care staff. The use of agency staff to support people on a 1 to 1 basis continued with the agency staff being in receipt of training and supervision.

The environment was well maintained and where issues were identified; these were addressed immediately. Ongoing refurbishment of the building continued with the design of the layout to be extended to meet the perception needs of people who were living with dementia.

Infection control measures had enabled a recent outbreak of COVID-19 to be controlled and eliminated.

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 treated with respect and dignity. Support provided was person-centred in line with good practice.

The management team were fully conversant in the needs of people living with dementia and complex mental health issues. The quality of the service was checked on a regular basis in order to consolidate quality.

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

Rating at last inspection

This service was registered with us on 19 July 2021 and this is the first inspection. The last rating for the service under the previous provider was Good, published on 7 June 2019.

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.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.