Brent Cottage

Updated 9 June 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 Care Act 2014.

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

This inspection was carried out by two inspectors.

Service and service type

Brent Cottage 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. Brent Cottage is a care home without 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 inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We had met with the provider to monitor the improvements made and regularly met with the local authority and safeguarding teams since our last inspection. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with three person who used the service and one relative about their experience of the care provided. We spent time observing people with staff supporting and communicating with them. We spoke with three members of staff, the registered manager and the nominated individual. 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 three people's care records and medication records. 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 provider to validate evidence found. We looked at training data, quality assurance records, further records relating to people’s care and plans to further develop the quality of care. We met with a range of social care professionals to seek their feedback about the improvements made within the service.

Updated 9 June 2023

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability, and autistic people, respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence, and good access to local communities that most people take for granted.

'Right support, right care, right culture' is the guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements about services supporting people with a learning disability, and autistic people, and providers must have regard to it.

About the service

Brent Cottage is a residential care home which is registered to provide accommodation and personal care for up to 5 people, with 5 people living at the care home at the time of the inspection. The service is an adapted house providing people with separate bedrooms and shared communal areas.

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

Right Support

People at times were not able to spend their time freely and without pressure from others. People were supported with activities and pursuing hobbies and their interests, although improvements are required to look at longer term aspirations. Staff enabled people to access specialist health care support in the community. The environment and cleanliness within the home had improved and people were able to personalise their rooms. People received their prescribed medicines safely, from staff who had been appropriately trained. People were not always supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives. Staff supported people in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

Right Care

People's specific care plan information promoted equality and diversity in their support. Weekday staffing levels were sufficient, but the provider was reviewing the weekend numbers to ensure support was provided equally. Staff understood people's cultural needs and people received kind and compassionate care. People were supported to eat and drink enough and had a varied diet offered to them. Staff mostly protected and respected people's privacy and dignity. Staff responded to people's individual needs but a culture of people needing to ask for permission for some things remained. Staff understood how to protect people from poor care and abuse. Staff had training on how to recognise and report abuse and they knew how to apply it.

Right Culture

People were not always supported to achieve their individual goals and aspirations. Staff placed people's needs, at the heart of everything they did. People's relatives were involved where appropriate in the review of people's care plans. Staff ensured risks of a closed culture were minimised so that people received support based on transparency, respect, and inclusivity. People's ability to access community activities had increased since the last inspection. The provider and people had redeveloped the ethos and values of the service, aligning this with what people wanted from the care and support.

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

Rating at last inspection and update

The last rating was inadequate (published 05 September 2022) and there were breaches of regulations found. We imposed positive conditions on the providers registration in respect of those issues which required improvements.

The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve. They met with CQC and the local authority regularly to review the improvements.

At this inspection we found some improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations. This service has been in Special Measures since 22 May 2022. During this inspection the provider demonstrated that improvements have been made. The service is no longer rated inadequate overall or in any of the key questions. Therefore, this service is no longer in special measures.

Why we inspected

This inspection was carried out to follow up on action we told the provider to take at the last inspection.

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.

The overall rating for the service has changed from Inadequate to Requires Improvement. This is based on the findings at this inspection. We have found evidence that the provider needs to make improvements. Please see the safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led sections of this report.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the 'all reports' link for Brent Cottage on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Follow up

We will meet with the provider following this report being published to discuss how they will make changes to ensure they improve their rating to at least good. We will work with the local authority to monitor progress. We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect. We will continue to meet with the provider to monitor progress against their action plan.