• Care Home
  • Care home

Archived: Briar Dene Retirement Home

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

73 Burniston Road, Scarborough, North Yorkshire, YO12 6PH (01723) 361157

Provided and run by:
Mr John Kelly

Important: This service is now registered at a different address - see new profile

All Inspections

1 October 2019

During a routine inspection

About the service

Briar Dene is a residential care home providing personal care for 25 older people aged 65 and over at the time of the inspection. The service can support up to 27 people.

At the time of our inspection the provider was in the process of constructing a larger care home to the side of the existing building. The provider’s aim is to transfer the service, with necessary permissions and consents, into the new building, however, a time frame for such a move has yet to be established. The inspector asked them to submit applications to register with CQC. These documents have now been submitted and are in the process of being considered. The local authority is working with the provider to ensure meetings take place to discuss the future placements for the residents living at Briar Dene Retirement Home.

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

People received care and support in a safe environment. Risks had been identified, assessed and measures were in place to guide staff on how to reduce them. Health and safety audits were completed to ensure maintenance of the premises. Staff understood and practiced good infection prevention and control procedures. Staffing levels were regularly reviewed to ensure people’s needs were met. Recruitment procedures ensured staff were suitable to work in a care setting.

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.

Staff received regular training, supervision and annual appraisals. People were supported to access support and advice from health professionals when needed. People told us the food was very nice and it looked appetising.

Staff respected people’s privacy and dignity, whilst supporting them to remain as independent as they could be. People told us staff were caring and kind towards them.

People told us they chose which activities they would like to participate in and made some suggestions for future events and activities which we brought to the attention of the provider. Complaints were appropriately responded to, and systems were in place to support people with end of life care.

Quality assurance systems were being updated and records changed from paper based to electronic during this inspection. This had been identified by the provider as an areas requiring improvement so more oversight was in place to drive and enhance the quality of the service.

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 Good (published 01 April 2017).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

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.

20 February 2017

During a routine inspection

Briar Dene Retirement Home provides care and accommodation for 27 older people. It is a large detached property and is located in a residential area in Scarborough close to the North Bay area. Accommodation is provided in one twin room and twenty-five single rooms. All rooms are equipped with en-suite facilities. There is a passenger lift. The home is set in its own gardens and car parking is provided for several vehicles. At the time of this inspection there were 26 people who used the service.

At the last inspection, the service was rated ‘Good’. At this inspection we found the service remained ‘Good’.

People told us they felt safe and were well cared for. The registered provider completed recruitment checks, to ensure suitable staff were employed. There were sufficient staff employed to assist people in a timely way. People’s medicines were managed safely.

Staff had completed relevant induction and training. Staff were being supervised but this was not being formally recorded. We have made a recommendation in our report about this.

People were supported to have choice and control of their lives. Staff supported people in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

People said they enjoyed good food. People's health needs were identified and staff worked with other professionals to ensure these needs were met.

Staff were knowledgeable about people’s individual care needs and care plans were person centred and detailed. There was a range of social activities available and people’s spiritual needs were met through in-house services and one-to-one pastoral care when requested.

People told us that the service was well managed and organised. The registered manager assessed and monitored the quality of care provided to people. People and staff were asked for their views and their suggestions were used to continuously improve the service.

The service met all relevant fundamental standards we inspect against.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

11 November 2014

During a routine inspection

The inspection took place on 11 November 2014 and was unannounced.

We last inspected Briar Dene Retirement Home on 7 August 2013. At that inspection we found the home was meeting the regulations that were assessed.

Briar Dene Retirement Home provides care and accommodation for 27 older people. It is a large, detached property and is located in a residential area in Scarborough close to the North Bay and Peasholm Park. Accommodation is provided in one twin room and twenty five single rooms. All rooms are equipped with en-suite facilities. There is a passenger lift. The home is set in its own gardens and car parking is provided for several vehicles.

Mr John Kelly is the registered provider / manager and has the legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run. There was also a care manager in post who supervised the care function and a general manager who oversees catering, housekeeping and the other functions of the home.

People spoke positively about the care they received at Briar Dene Retirement Home and they said they felt safe. The home had policies on safeguarding and whistleblowing and people living in the home and staff knew who to speak to if they had any concerns.

People told us that staff met their needs. There was an established staff team who knew people well and provided consistent care. Staff were recruited safely and had received training to fulfil their roles and responsibilities appropriately. Staff understood the importance of managing medicines safely and managers were aware of current research and practice in relation to managing medicines in care home.

Staff understood their responsibilities under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLs). Policies to manage risk were in place and staff applied these consistently to make sure that people remained safe without being unduly restrictive.

People’s nutritional needs were met. Meals were cooked using fresh produce that was locally sourced and people spoke highly about the quality of the food provided.

People received the health care support they required and had access to a range of healthcare professionals such as doctors, chiropodists, dentist and community nurses.

People were satisfied with the care that they received and said they were treated with kindness and respect. We saw that people were consulted to make sure the care they received met their individual needs and preferences. People were provided with a range of activities and they were supported to follow their own interests and pursuits inside and outside the home.

People were encouraged to discuss any issues so that these could be resolved quickly. People told us that staff always listened to them and acted on what they said. Good professional relationships appeared to exist between the general manager and the care manager which meant that things ran well. Everyone knew the managers and spoke highly of them.

7 August 2013

During an inspection looking at part of the service

We carried out this inspection because at our previous visit on the 9 May 2013 we found the provider needed to make improvements to the way that they identified, assessed and managed risks to the health, safety and welfare of people who used the service.

We saw that action had been taken in response to the shortfalls that had been identified in the last inspection. We found that an improved system of medicine audits and checks was in place, which helped to identify any discrepancies promptly. Effective systems were in place for gathering, recording and evaluating accurate information about the quality and safety of care, treatment and support the service provided, and its outcomes.

During our inspection we observed that staff spent time with the people in their care and they were respectful, kind and friendly in their approach. We saw a group of people who used the service joined in with a conversation about current news affairs and people we spoke with were positive about the care they received at Briar Dene Retirement Home. One person said to us 'They (the staff) always check if everything is alright for me, I don't have any complaints.'

9 May 2013

During a routine inspection

People told us that they were consulted about their care and were able to make their own decisions about life in the home. One person said 'I decide when I get up in a morning, when I want to go to bed. I can make choices about what I want to eat or how I want to dress. There are some limits to what I can do for myself because of my health, but staff listen to me and try to do things the way I like them done.'

We found people were being looked after by friendly, supportive staff within a warm and homely environment. The food offered to people was well cooked and offered them a choice of meals. Care was personalised and reflected people's choices and decisions. Care records were up to date.

People told us 'We get our medicine on time and when we need it', but we found that appropriate arrangements were not in place in relation to recording, handling and safely administering medicines to people who used the service.

We saw that there were sufficient numbers of staff on duty to meet the needs of the people who used the service. One person told us, 'Staff are friendly and give us the support and help we need.'

Whilst the service was well maintained and designed to suit the needs of the people who lived there, we found that improvements were needed to the quality assurance system to ensure the provider identified, assessed and managed risks relating to the health, safety and welfare of people who used the service.

13 July 2012

During a routine inspection

People living at Briar Dene Retirement Home spoke positively about the care provided at the home and staff. Their comments included 'The staff are wonderful, very kind and caring', 'They look after us very well', and 'They are always friendly and willing to help'.

Cards and letters sent in by people who lived at the home and by relatives were also positive about the service provided. They felt they were treated with dignity and respect and staff were kind and patient.

Staff working at the home told us they were well supported by the owner and the management team to meet people's care and support needs.