Brimington Care Centre

Updated 10 June 2022

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.

Inspection team

The inspection team consisted of two inspectors and an Expert by Experience. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Service and service type

Brimington Care Centre is a care home without nursing care. 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. 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 a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority who work with the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well and any improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with six people living at the service and made general observations of staff interactions with people. We spoke with 10 relatives, one external health professional and a total of eight staff. This included two senior care staff members, three care staff, including the activities co-ordinator; a cook, the registered manager and the nominated individual. The nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider

We reviewed a range of records relating to people’s care and the management of the service. Examples included, six people’s care plans, multiple medicines records, staffing records, care policies and management audits.

Updated 10 June 2022

About the service

Brimington Care Centre is a residential care home providing accommodation and personal care in one adapted building for up to 45 adults, including some people living with dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 41 people using the service.

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

The provider’s governance arrangements did not always wholly ensure the effectiveness of people’s care and timely service improvement. Otherwise, the provider was able to demonstrate a range of regular service checks and resulting service improvements arising for people’s care and safety.

We were mostly assured the provider was meeting with requirements and nationally recognised government guidance, concerned with the prevention and control of infection, including COVID-19. We signposted the provider to resources to develop their approach in relation to hygiene practices within the premises, which was somewhat assured.

Effective risk strategies were operated for peoples care and related safety needs. Staff understood people’s individual, risk assessed needs and supported people safely when they provided care. People’s medicines were safely managed, and people received their medicines when they should

People were supported by staff to maintain or improve their health and nutrition, and to have maximum choice and control of their lives. Staff supported them in the least restrictive way, in their best interests. However, people’s care plans were not always accurately recorded, in line with nationally recognised practice, to fully ensure this.

Staff were trained and mostly well supported to deliver safe, effective care. Although their access to undertake relevant vocational qualifications was recognised but not assured as facilitated.

People received care from staff who knew them well and how to communicate with them in the way they understood. People’s personal care, including at the end of their life, was planned and delivered in a way which helped to ensure their dignity, comfort, choice, independence and rights.

The provider was meeting the accessible information standard, to help people understand what to expect from their care. There were effective arrangements for handling and responding to any complaints or concerns received.

The registered manager and staff were motivated and understood their role and responsibilities for people’s care. People, relatives and staff were highly confident in the management and running of the service and the arrangement for people’s care and safety.

People, relatives and staff were regularly engaged and consulted to inform people’s care, related service planning and improvement. Staff worked in partnership with relevant external professionals, authorities and other care providers, to help inform and enhance people’s care experience in accordance with their needs and choices.

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

Rating at last inspection and update

The last rating for this service under the previous provider was good. (Published 4 January 2019).

The provider for this service was registered with us on 22 September 2020 and this is the first inspection of the service.

Why we inspected

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.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Brimington Care Centre 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.