Archived: Brimington Care Centre

Updated 4 January 2019

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

This comprehensive inspection tool place on 13 November 2018 and was unannounced.

The inspection team consisted of one inspector and one 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. Prior to the inspection we reviewed information we held about the service including information from notifications. Notifications are events that happen in the home that the registered provider and registered manager are required to tell us about. We also considered the last inspection report, the Information supplied by the provider (PIR) and information that had been supplied by other agencies. We also contacted commissioners who had a contract with the home to support people who lived there.

During the inspection we met or had sight of all the people who used the service. We spent most of our time in the company of people using the service provided. Some of the people living in the home had limited verbal communication skills but they were able to make known their views about some aspects of the service. Staff were familiar with and understood their communication methods. We spent time observing how people were being cared for and supported by staff to help us understand people’s experience of living at the home.

We spoke with eight people about their daily lives and experience of living in the home and spent time in their company during the day. We met and spoke with two relatives who were visiting the service. We spoke with the registered manager, the regional manager and three care staff. We looked at care records of four people, the medicine management records and some records relating to the management of the home. These included records relating to checks of safety procedures including fire risks, staff training, meeting records and overall checks of the home.

Updated 4 January 2019

Brimington Care Centre is a registered care home. People in care homes receive accommodation and personal care as a package of care under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided and both were looked at during this inspection. Brimington Care Centre accommodates up to 45 people.

The home provides accommodation over two floors and people have shared access to communal rooms and bathrooms. At the time of the inspection the home was fully occupied. Many of the people were living with dementia.

At our last inspection in June 2016 we rated the service good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and on-going monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

The inspection took place on 13 November 2018 and was unannounced.

People continued to receive care that made them feel safe and staff understood how to protect people from abuse and harm. Risks to people were assessed and guidance about how to manage these was available for staff to refer to and follow. All staff were clear about action they would take. Recruitment of staff was carried out to ensure that adequate numbers of suitable staff were available to support people. People received medicines as they were prescribed.

People continued to receive effective support from staff who had a sufficient level of skills and knowledge to meet their specific needs. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported people in the least restrictive way possible, whilst involving them as much as possible to make decisions. The policies and systems in the home supported this practice.

People continued to be cared for by staff who displayed kindness and compassion in ways that upheld their privacy and dignity. Staff ensured that people were supported to make choices and maintain a good level of independence in line with their abilities and wishes. People’s diverse needs were recognised and support and access to activities was supported and enabled by staff.

The provider had effective systems in place that were used to regularly review people’s care and support that had been provided. Care plans and detailed assessments were individualised and contained a wealth of information about people, their needs and wishes.

People using the service were well known by staff and the staff team continued to work consistently to ensure that support provided respected their needs. People’s own communications methods were well known and understood by staff who were keen to advocate on behalf of people whenever they were unhappy, wanted to make preferences known, or wanted to raise an issue.

The care home continued to be well-led, with checks and monitoring arrangements used to maintain the quality of the service provided. Staff were positive about the leadership and skills of the registered manager and people using the service had a good relationship with the registered manager too. Further information is in the detailed findings below.