Meadowbrook Care Home

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

People felt safe living at the home and with the staff who supported them. Risks to people were assessed and there were plans in place to mitigate risks.

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was good (published 13 January 2023).

Why we inspected

We undertook this targeted inspection to check on a specific concern we had about the care and welfare of people. The overall rating for the service has not changed following this targeted inspection and remains good.

We use targeted inspections to follow up on Warning Notices or to check concerns. They do not look at an entire key question, only the part of the key question we are specifically concerned about. Targeted inspections do not change the rating from the previous inspection. This is because they do not assess all areas of a key question.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.

Meadowbrook Care Home is a care home providing personal and nursing care to a maximum of 69 people. At the time of the inspection, 55 people were using the service. Accommodation is provided in one purpose-built building consisting of three units at ground floor level.

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

People felt safe living at the home and with the staff who supported them. The provider’s staff recruitment procedures helped to protect people from harm. Staff had been trained and knew how and when to report any concerns about people’s well-being. Risks to people were assessed and there were plans in place to mitigate risks. Improvements has been made since the last inspection to ensure care plans were in place to assist people when they became distressed or anxious. People received their medicines when they needed them from staff who were trained and competent. The provider followed best practice in relation to infection control and prevention and management of risks relating to COVID-19.

People were assessed to ensure their needs and aspirations could be met. Improvements had been made to ensure people were provided with enough food and drink to meet their needs and preferences. People were positive about the quality and quantity of the food they received. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives. Staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the provider's policies and procedures supported this practice. People lived in a home which was adapted to meet their needs. People saw healthcare professionals when they needed. People were supported by staff who were trained and competent to carry out their role.

People told us they were supported by kind and caring staff who respected their wishes and treated them with respect. People were supported to live their lives as they chose and were regularly consulted about the care they received. People’s privacy was respected, and they could spend time alone in their bedroom when they wanted. People were supported to be as independent as they could be.

People told us staff knew them well and what was important to them. Care plans had improved and now contained information for staff about people’s social history and preferences. People were supported to maintain contact with those who were important to them and were provided with opportunities for social stimulation. People’s communication needs were assessed and responded to. People did not raise any concerns about the care they received but felt confident action would be taken to address any concerns they may have. There were systems in place to ensure people’s needs and preferences would be understood and met during their final days.

Staff received the supervision and support needed to carry out their role effectively. The views of people were sought and valued. Systems to monitor and improve the quality of the service provided had improved. The provider worked in partnership with other professionals to ensure good outcomes for people. The provider was aware of their legal requirement and of their responsibility to be open and honest when things go wrong.

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 requires improvement (Published 27 January 2022).

Why we inspected

The inspection was prompted in part due to concerns received about the care and welfare of people. There had also been a recent fire at the service. A decision was made for us to inspect and examine those risks. We found no evidence during this inspection that people were at risk of harm from this concern.

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.

The overall rating for the service has changed from requires improvement to good based on the findings of this inspection.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Meadowbrook Care Home on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.

Meadowbrook Care Home is a nursing home providing nursing and personal care for up to 69 people. At the time of the inspection 51 people were living there including people living with dementia. The building is a purpose built two storey building with all care provided on the ground floor.

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

Governance systems were still being embedded and the provider was working to ensure they had up to date and accurate information about what work was required. This included monitoring care practice and reviewing people’s care plans to ensure they had been updated.

People were not satisfied with the quality of food provided by the home. Staff were not fully trained to support the needs of people as the staff team were still being trained to support people when they became anxious or upset.

People’s safety in the home and risks within the property were not fully assessed and managed as assessments and plans were not in place for when people became agitated or upset.

Although people had plans for how their care should be provided, improvements were required to ensure they were person centred.

Accurate records of care delivered by staff were maintained

People received their medicines when they needed them, and systems were in place to ensure that medicines were stored and administered safely and that adequate supplies were available. Accidents and Incidents were investigated, and measures were taken to prevent re-occurrences. The premises were clean, and staff knew and followed infection control principles. Staffing levels at the home were sufficient to meet the needs of people.

People were supported to access health appointments and there was communication with other agencies when needed. People were supported by sufficient

People were supported to maintain contact with their friends and families. There were opportunities for social stimulation. People felt their concerns and complaints would be listened to and responded to. People had plans relating to end of life care decisions where required.

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 cared for by staff who were kind and caring, and people were treated with dignity and respect. People were involved in making decisions about their care and were supported to maintain their independence.

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 03/06/2021 and this is the first inspection

Why we inspected

The inspection was prompted in part due to concerns raised to us about staffing, training, care plans and records of care not being maintained. A decision was made for us to inspect and examine those risks.

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.

We have found evidence that the provider needs to make improvements. Please see the safe, effective, responsive and well led sections of this full report.

You can see what action we have asked the provider to take at the end of this full report.

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.

We found the following examples of good practice.

¿ Visits were restricted due to local guidance. However, people’s individual wellbeing was considered and some visits went ahead by prior arrangement. Procedures were in place and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) was provided for visitors.

¿ People were supported to go out safely using the provider’s minibus and had recently enjoyed an outing to a local beauty spot, following local guidance.

¿ Staff felt well supported by the registered manager. Recruitment was underway to reduce the usage of agency staff. Regular staff were used and closely monitored to ensure they were not working at other services and were compliant with Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) measures.

¿ The environment was clean. Staff completed regular touch point cleaning and deep cleans to ensure the risk of cross transmission was reduced.

¿ The registered manager worked closely with infection control professionals to ensure infection outbreaks were effectively managed and prevented.