Archived: Brook House

Updated 9 December 2016

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, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

This inspection took place on 21 and 22 September 2016 and was unannounced. This inspection was conducted by one inspector.

As part of planning the inspection we asked the provider to complete a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make and we took this into account when we made the judgements in this report. When we were planning the inspection we looked at the information we already held about the provider. Providers are required to notify the Care Quality Commission about specific events and incidents that occur, including serious injuries to people receiving care and any safeguarding matters. We also used this information to help us to focus our inspection.

During our inspection visit, we spoke with three people who used the service. We spoke with ten members of staff and the registered manager. We used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI). SOFI is a way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us. We also sampled three people’s care records, three staff files and records maintained by the service about risk management, care planning, staffing and quality assurance. After the visit we spoke with four relatives of people who used the service on the telephone and three professionals.

Updated 9 December 2016

The inspection took place on 21 and 22 September 2016 and was unannounced. We last inspected this service in May 2015 and found that the service required improvement. Most areas of improvement had been addressed, however further improvement was required in relation to how people’s care records were managed. The registered provider had implemented a new electronic records system which staff were learning to use.

Brook House is a residential care home for up to 14 adults who have a learning disability. The service offers people emergency care and short term breaks. At the time of our inspection, there were four people using the service. There was a registered manager in place who was present throughout our inspection. 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 using the service and their relatives told us that they felt the service was safe. People were supported by staff who were aware of their needs and risks, and how to recognise and report abuse. Maintenance checks were completed routinely at the service and processes had been established to help staff keep people safe in the event of an emergency.

People received their medicines safely and as prescribed, however further areas of improvement were identified for how staff recorded the support that people received with their medicines.

People’s needs were met by supportive staff who received training and guidance for their roles. There were enough staff to meet people’s needs and people were protected by safe recruitment practices that had been improved by the registered provider.

People were able to move around the service freely and go to the community with the support of staff as they wished. People were encouraged to make their own decisions and were supported in line with the principles of the Mental Capacity Act (2005).

People were supported to eat sufficient foods of their choice with healthy options. People’s dietary requirements were met and their food and drink intake monitored as required, to reflect how these needs had been met. Staff supported people to access healthcare support and monitored their symptoms where required to help people stay well.

People were treated with respect and we saw that they had developed positive relationships with staff. Relatives confirmed that people were made to feel involved and welcome at the service.

People received care that was responsive to their needs. The registered manager sought feedback from people and relatives to ensure that people’s needs were met. People were supported to participate in activities of interest to them.

Relatives, staff and professionals spoke positively about the service and registered manager. Staff were motivated in their roles and felt that communication at the service was effective. People and relatives felt comfortable raising concerns and felt confident that issues would be addressed promptly. The registered manager reflected an understanding of their responsibilities and staff felt supported in their roles and able to share their ideas and concerns within an open, person-centred culture.