Brookside

Updated 5 May 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 the coronavirus pandemic we are looking at the preparedness of care homes in relation to infection prevention and control. This was a targeted inspection looking at the infection control and prevention measures the provider has in place.

This inspection took place on 16 April 2021 and was announced.

Updated 5 May 2021

About the service:

Brookside is a residential care home providing personal care to 18 older people and younger adults, living with a learning disability or dementia at the time of the inspection. People has their own bedrooms at the service and shared facilities such as the kitchen, dining room, garden and bathrooms. Some people used the service for respite.

The service has been developed and designed in line with the principles and values that underpin Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. This ensures that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes. The principles reflect the need for people with learning disabilities and/or autism to live meaningful lives that include control, choice, and independence. People using the service receive planned and co-ordinated person-centred support that is appropriate and inclusive for them .

The service was a large home, bigger than most domestic style properties. It was registered for the support of up to 22 people. 18 people were using the service. This is larger than current best practice guidance. However, the size of the service having a negative impact on people was mitigated by the building design which allowed people to have their own personal space and maintain their independence. Staff were discouraged from wearing anything that suggested they were care staff when coming and going with people. People were supported to be a part of the community and had access to local amenities. People had been living at Brookside for a large part of their lives and were happy being supported at the service.

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

People were positive about their care. One person told us, ‘‘I am very happy living here and the staff are so kind and caring. I feel like this is my home and I cannot fault it.’’

People were supported by a kind and compassionate staff team who knew them well. Staff members had a passion for supporting people in a person-centred way and people received personalised care based on their support needs. People were supported to take part in activities and access the community based around their likes, dislikes and preferences. The service was designed and decorated to meet the needs of people using the service.

The service applied the principles and values of Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. The outcomes for people using the service reflected the principles and values of Registering the Right Support by promoting choice and control, independence and inclusion. People's support focused on them having opportunities to maintain their independence and live their lives in the way that they chose.

People felts safe living at the service and systems and processes were in place to safeguard people from harm and abuse. Risk assessments were in place which enabled them to take positive risks whilst keeping them safe. Medicines were administered safely and good infection control measures were followed at the service.

People were supported by suitably trained and competent staff and there were enough staff to support people in a timely manner. People had access to a complaints procedure if they wished to make a complaint about the service. People had plans in place for the end of their life and staff members had a good understanding of how to support people at this time.

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 supported to eat a balanced and health diet and were supported to live healthy lives and see health professionals where this was needed.

The manager promoted a positive culture and was passionate about supporting people using the service. The manager completed audits to monitor the quality of the service and put actions in place if areas for improvement were identified. People, relatives and the staff team were asked for feedback about the service and this was used to continually develop the service. The manager and staff team worked well with other organisations to achieve good outcomes for people.

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

Rating at last inspection:

The last rating for this service was good (published 3 May 2017).

Why we inspected:

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up:

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.