Brook Court

Updated 16 December 2021

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

The inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Service and service type

This service provides care and support to people living in a ‘supported living’ setting, so that they can live as independently as possible. People’s care and housing are provided under separate contractual agreements. CQC does not regulate premises used for supported living; this inspection looked at people’s personal care and support.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. 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.

Notice of inspection

We gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because the service is small and people are often out and we wanted to be sure there would be people at home to speak with us.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received from the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We requested that some policy documents were sent to us by e-mail. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

During the inspection we spoke with four people using the service and four members of staff including the registered manager. We looked at three care plans and documents relating to risk and medicine management. We also looked at documents relating to auditing and accidents and incidents.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at the documents sent to us including safeguarding and complaints policies, training data and quality assurance records. We spoke to four relatives and three professionals who had regular contact with the service.

Updated 16 December 2021

About the service

Brook Court is a supported living service providing personal care and support for people with a learning disability and / or autistic people. Support was provided to five people who lived in their own flats within a purpose-built house.

Not everyone who used the service received personal care. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do, we also consider any wider social care provided.

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

People told us that they felt safe and this was reinforced by relatives. A relative told us, “They are all kept safe and well.” Staff understood risk, they were confident in raising concerns and demonstrated an understanding of individual risks, triggers and contingencies.

There were enough staff, and all had been safely recruited. Some people were supported with their medicines and this was done by trained staff with appropriate records being kept. Infection prevention and control measures were in place and the registered manager had followed government guidelines throughout the pandemic. Accidents and incidents had been recorded, investigated and any learning shared with staff.

People’s care and support needs were assessed and regularly reviewed. Staff received training and refresher training in all areas relevant to meet the needs of people. People’s health and social care needs were met, and the staff worked with other statutory partners and professionals to achieve this. People were provided with choices in all aspects of their lives and peoples capacity to understand the decisions they were making had been considered.

People were supported in a caring way by staff that knew them well. People’s privacy was respected, and independence promoted in all aspects of their lives. Staff told us how important respecting people’s dignity was and treating people in the way they would like to be treated.

Support for people was person centred. Staff and the registered manager, who had only been in post a few weeks, knew people and communicated with people in a clear, supportive way where what was said was understood. Pictorial and photographic images were used around people’s homes to help with understanding and all staff had received training in Makaton. Makaton uses hand signs and gestures to represent words. People led full lives with many activities available daily. A transparent complaints procedure was in place. Discussions had been held with people about their care towards the end of their lives.

There was a positive culture at the service promoted by the registered manager. Everyone spoke well of the registered manager who had quickly established themselves at the service. The registered manager was aware of their responsibilities under the duty of candour. Auditing processes were in place and a system for securing feedback from people, relatives and staff was used.

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.

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee autistic people and people with a learning disability the choices, dignity, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. Right Support, right care, right culture is the statutory guidance which supports CQC to make assessments and judgements about services providing support to people with a learning disability and/or autistic people.

The service was able to demonstrate how they were the underpinning principles of Right support, right care, right culture.

Right support:

Model of care and setting maximises people’s choice, control and independence. People enjoyed living in their flats and had a range of activities and personal items available to them. People were supported to engage in a range of activities each day and people’s independence in all aspects of their lives was promoted.

Right care:

Care is person-centred and promotes people’s dignity, privacy and human rights. People could live their lives how they chose and were supported to achieve this safely by staff key workers who took responsibility for people’s needs. People lived in their own flats and their privacy was respected.

Right culture:

Ethos, values, attitudes and behaviours of leaders and care staff ensure people using the services lead confident, inclusive and empowered lives. Staff told us they were passionate about providing the best care for people. The service was relaxed, friendly and people knew each other and the staff team well. Relatives confirmed this positive style and told us that communication between the service and loved ones was good, relatives being kept informed of people’s day to day life events.

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

Rating at last inspection

This service was registered with us on 25 November 2019 and this was the first inspection.

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.