11 October 2017
During a routine inspection
Brookhurst Court provides personal care for people living in one bedroom flats in a supported living scheme of the same name. People at Brookhurst Court were older people and most needed minimal support with personal care. Some people were living with dementia, some had physical disabilities and a minority had higher levels of support needs. There were 29 people receiving the regulated activity personal care at the time of our inspection.
The home had a registered manager in post. 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 were safeguarded from abuse and neglect as staff were trained to identify signs people may be being abused and how to respond to keep people safe. Staff were confident to whistleblow if they observed poor practice which put people at risk.
There were enough staff deployed to meet people’s needs and the registered manager and staff worked overtime to cover staff shortages. Staff were recruited following robust procedures to check their suitability.
Risks to people were reduced as the provider assessed risks and put management plans in place for staff to follow. The provider put care plans in place to inform staff about people’s needs and the best ways to provide care to meet these needs. People were involved in developing their care plans and they were regularly reviewed so information in them remained current and reliable for staff to follow.
People’s medicines were managed safely by the provider. The provider assessed risks to each person relating to medicines, although they had not ensured these were reviewed at least once a year so they remained current. Staff received training in managing medicines each year and the provider assessed their competency to administer medicines. People received their medicines as prescribed and accurate records were kept of medicines administration.
People received care in line with the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005 and staff received training in relation to this each year so their knowledge remained current.
Staff were supported by the provider. A programme of induction, training, supervision and appraisal was in place to help staff understand people’s needs and carry out their roles.
People received their choice of food and drink and were satisfied with the support they received in relation to eating and drinking. Staff supported people to maintain their health and to access healthcare services where this was part of their care package.
The staff treated people with dignity and respect. Staff knew the people they supported and encouraged people to maintain their independence. People were involved in decisions about the care they received.
The provider encouraged people to feedback on the service and the provider had processes in place to investigate and respond to complaints.
The service was well-led. The registered manager and staff had a good understanding of their role and responsibilities and the provider had audits in place to monitor and assess the quality of service and gather feedback from people and staff.