Allenbrook Nursing Home

Updated 23 August 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.

Inspection team

The inspection was conducted by 2 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

Allenbrook Nursing Home is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under 1 contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. Allenbrook Nursing Home 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 provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

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

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

The provider was not asked to complete a Provider Information Return (PIR) prior to this inspection. A PIR is information providers send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.

During the inspection

We spoke with 8 people who used the service and 8 relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with 9 members of staff including the nominated individual, the registered manager, the clinical lead, regional manager, support and development manager, chef and 3 care staff. The nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider.

We reviewed a range of records. This included 8 people’s care records and multiple medicines records. We looked at 6 staff files in relation to recruitment. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

Following the onsite visits, we continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate the evidence found.

Updated 23 August 2023

About the service

Allenbrook Nursing Home is a nursing home providing personal and nursing care to up to 43 people. At the time of our inspection there were 37 people using the service. Accommodation at the home is provided over 3 floors. There are large gardens and patio areas which provide a safe and secure private leisure area for people living at the home.

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

People told us they felt safe living at Allenbrook Nursing Home. We received consistent positive feedback from people and their families as well as health professionals. One person told us, “I’m very happy here. I feel safe because they look after me.”

Medicines administration records (MARs) confirmed people had received their medicines as prescribed.

Staff felt well supported and able to approach the manager with any concerns. An action plan was in place to support further development of staff supervision.

People were supported with their nutritional needs and told us how much they enjoyed the food. One person told us, ‘‘I like the food and they work hard on the choice they offer us. They bring the menu around so I can choose what I want.”

Staff had received training in safeguarding adults and knew how to identify and report abuse. There were enough staff to keep people safe.

Staff worked collaboratively with health professionals to support people with their healthcare needs. There was a system in place to enable people and their relatives to express any concerns or complaints they may have.

Relevant recruitment checks were conducted before staff started working at the home to make sure they were of good character and had the necessary skills.

The provider sought feedback on the service it provided, this information and outcomes were used to drive improvement.

Governance systems in place were effective at driving improvement.

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

The last rating for this service was good (published 19 June 2019)

Why we inspected

The inspection was prompted in part due to concerns arising from our review of notifications received from the service. A decision was made for us to inspect and examine those concerns.

We found no evidence during this inspection that people were at risk of harm from this concern. Please see the safe and well-led sections of this full report.

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.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Allenbrook Nursing Home on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Follow up

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