Branch Court Care Home

Updated 15 March 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

An inspector and an expert by experience undertook the inspection on the first day. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service. An inspector and specialist medicines inspector visited the service on the second day.

Service and service type

Branch Court Care Home 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. Branch Court Care Home 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 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 not a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced on the first day.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information, we had received about the service, such as notifications. These are events that happen in the service that the provider is required to tell us about. We also sought feedback from the local authority.

The provider completed 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. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We observed how staff provided support for people to help us better understand their experiences of the care they received. We spoke with 7 people living in the home, 6 relatives, 9 members of care staff, the cook, the head housekeeper, a housekeeper, 2 deputy managers and the manager. We also spoke to 2 visiting healthcare professionals and 1 social care professional during the visit and a representative of the provider over the telephone.

We had a tour of the building with the manager and reviewed a range of records. This included 3 people’s care documentation, 2 staff files and 7 people’s medicines records. We also reviewed a range of records relating to the management of the service as well as policies and procedures.

Updated 15 March 2023

About the service

Branch Court Care Home is a residential care home providing accommodation and personal care for up to a maximum of 30 people in one purpose built building. The service specialises in providing care for older people and people with dementia. There were 17 people living in the home at the time of the inspection.

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

We found shortfalls during the inspection in respect to the management of risk and the governance and record keeping systems.

People told us they felt safe living in the home, and they were happy with the service provided. Staff understood how to protect people from harm or discrimination and had access to safeguarding adults’ procedures. There were sufficient numbers of staff deployed to meet people's needs and ensure their safety. The provider had an appropriate procedure for the recruitment of new staff. There were shortfalls in some people’s care plans and risks to people’s health, safety and well-being had not always been assessed and recorded. The home had a good standard of cleanliness throughout. People’s medicines were handled safely but on occasion supporting written information was not personalised.

People were supported to eat a nutritionally balanced diet and to maintain their health. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible. Whilst there were appropriate policies and systems, mental capacity assessments had not been carried out. We made a recommendation about this. People's needs were assessed prior to them using the service. There was ongoing training for all staff. Staff were well supported by the manager.

Staff treated people with kindness and respect and spent time getting to know them and their specific needs and wishes. We observed positive interactions between staff and people who lived in the home. However, people were provided with limited opportunities to express their views about the service. People’s dignity was not always promoted due to the condition of the bathroom flooring and uneven surfaces in some corridors and bedrooms. We made a recommendation about this. We received assurances from the provider’s representative that all necessary improvements would be made to the building.

People’s care plans had not always been updated in line with changing needs. The deputy managers were in the process of updating the plans during the inspection. People were given the opportunity to participate in activities, however, there were limited planned activities and the manager had identified this as an area for development. People told us they were confident any concerns would be resolved quickly. The manager had maintained detailed records of a complaint investigation, however, there were no records of complaints received during 2022.

Whilst some audits and checks had been carried out, others had not been completed for some time. People had not been given the opportunity to complete a satisfaction survey or participate in residents’ meetings.

The manager was new in post and was working hard to make improvements to the service. All people, their relatives, staff and visiting professionals praised her open and honest leadership style. The manager was committed to making the necessary improvements to the service and had made notable progress in a short space of time. Following the inspection, the manager sent us a detailed action plan to address the issues found at the inspection.

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

Rating at the last inspection

The last rating for the service was good (published 8 April 2019).

Why we inspected

The inspection was prompted in part due to concerns received about the management of the home, the management of medicines, person centred care and staffing. A decision was made for us to inspect and examine those risks.

We have found evidence that the provider needs to make improvements. You can see what action we have asked the provider to take at the end 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.

Enforcement and Recommendations

We are mindful of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our regulatory function. This meant we took account of the exceptional circumstances arising as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic when considering what enforcement action was necessary and proportionate to keep people safe as a result of this inspection. We will continue to monitor the service and will take further action if needed.

We have identified breaches in relation to the management of risks and the governance and record keeping systems. We also made recommendations about the implementation of the Mental Capacity Act and the environment. Please see the action we have told the provider to take at the end of this report.

Follow up

We will request an action plan from the provider to understand what they will do to improve the standards of quality and safety. We will work alongside the provider and local authority to monitor progress. We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.