- Care home
Bramble House
Assessment report published 19 May 2026
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
Date of assessment: 19, 21 and 26 August 2025. The assessment followed concerns about people’s care and the length of time since a full inspection of the service was completed in June 2019. The last inspection of this service was completed on 25 February 2020. Bramble House supports up to 29 people, mostly living with dementia; 27 people were receiving care at the time.
A registered manager was present throughout, supported by a representative of the provider (the Nominated Individual) and an operations manager. Leaders were knowledgeable and shared a clear vision for safe, effective, person‑centred care. Staff shared this vision but did not always feel listened to or valued, despite existing well-being arrangements.
Systems were in place to keep people safe, though some distressed‑behaviour risks had been managed reactively without sufficient guidance. Gaps in monitoring these incidents were addressed during this assessment. Incident monitoring generally was evident. Lessons learned were shared across the team to support this process. Medicines were managed safely, and people’s health needs were monitored with involvement from external professionals. Healthcare professionals had mixed experiences of staff collaboration. The standard of cleaning needed to improve.
Staffing levels were set using a dependency tool, which leaders considered appropriate; however, staff felt shortages led to rushed care, though this was not observed. Staff well-being processes needed to be reviewed to improve their effectiveness. Staff received relevant training and supervision.
The service had a caring culture, and staff supported people’s well-being through meaningful activities and helping them to maintain relationships. Managers worked closely with commissioners to support access to care. The provider’s monitoring processes had identified areas for improvement, and actions were underway. The provider demonstrated a commitment to continuous improvement, including investment in systems and technology.
People's experience of this service
People described staff as kind and friendly, with comments such as “I’m happy here” and “It’s a good home.” Relatives’ feedback was mixed. Some praised the quality of care, while others felt it had been inconsistent. Relatives felt their family members were safe, noting that staff responded quickly to incidents, although one relative expressed concern about repeated incidents involving their family member. A professional advocate reported no concerns.
Some relatives felt there were not enough staff while others believed although this was the case it did not impact on day‑to‑day care. People enjoyed a range of activities, including art, music and quizzes. Relatives highlighted the activity coordinator’s positive engagement and noted that staff made special efforts during events such as birthdays and Christmas. People were supported to go out, though one person said they wished to go out more. Interactions between staff and people were generally warm and relaxed, though less engagement was observed during busier periods.
Lunchtimes were sociable, but some individuals required more support to eat their food and to make choices. People described the food as satisfactory.
Relatives said they generally knew how to raise concerns, and some reported prompt responses from staff, while others had not experienced the same level of support.