Archived: Redbricks Care Home

Redbricks Care Home is a residential care home without nursing registered to provide personal care for 9 people. At the time of our inspection visit there were 7 people who lived at the home, 6 of these received the regulatory activity of personal care.

The home is situated on the sea front in Cleveleys and comprises of the following accommodation, open plan lounge/dining room, kitchen and laundry facilities. Bedrooms are located on the ground and first floors and comprises of nine single rooms with ensuite facilities. A passenger lift is available to facilitate access between the ground and first floor.

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

Medicines were not stored or consistently administered safely. We have made a recommendation about this. People were supported safely, and the provider had plans in place in case of emergencies. There were enough staff to meet people’s needs and the provider ensured staff were of good character. Staff had received training to keep people safe and knew what action to take in response to any allegations of abuse. The premises were clean, tidy, and maintained, and there were no restrictions on family and friends visiting.

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.

The service was led by a manager who was described as approachable, supportive and caring. The culture at the service was open and inclusive. Staff understood their roles and responsibilities. The provider monitored the quality of the service using a range of systems. The manager and provider acted upon suggestions or ideas that were made by people, to ensure the service continued to improve.

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

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was good (published 21 October 2017).

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service. As a result, we undertook a focused inspection to review the key questions of Safe and Well-led only.

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.

For those key questions not inspected, we used the ratings awarded at the last inspection to calculate the overall rating.

The overall rating for the service has remained the same based on the findings of this inspection.

Follow up

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

We found the following examples of good practice.

The provider had dedicated staff to ensure people were admitted safely and continued to be supported in the service in accordance with national guidance. Infection prevention and control (IPC) policies and procedures were kept under review. We found safe processes were in place and appropriate action had been taken. The local commissioner’s IPC team was providing advice and support when required.

Social media systems such as computer systems and ‘face time’ access was used to facilitate contact between people and their relatives. The registered manager was facilitating safe visiting in line with government guidance. One staff member said, “We are a small team and not many visitors come, but we have supported them to see their loved ones.”

During our visit we observed the staff using Personal Protective Equipment, (PPE) safely. The registered manager told us sufficient stocks of PPE were available and we confirmed this on the visit.

People living at Redbricks and staff were tested regularly for COVID-19. There were no staff employed who had not been vaccinated as now required.

The home was clean and hygienic. This was a small building however cleaning schedules were in place and PPE stations located on each floor. Staff carried out regular checks of the environment and cleanliness and any issues would be addressed.

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

Although a number of people had limited verbal communication and were unable to converse with us, we were able to speak with two people who lived at the home. They told us they were happy and supported by staff who cared for them and treated them well. One person said, “The staff are really caring people and I am well looked after.”

We observed staff providing support to people throughout our inspection visit. We saw they were kind and patient and treated people with dignity and respect.

The service had systems in place to record safeguarding concerns, accidents and incidents and take necessary action as required. Staff had received safeguarding training and understood their responsibilities to report unsafe care or abusive practices.

Risk assessments had been developed to minimise the potential risk of harm to people during the delivery of their care. These had been kept under review and were relevant to the care provided.

Staff had been recruited safely, appropriately trained and supported. They had skills, knowledge and experience required to support people with their care and social needs.

The service had sufficient staffing levels in place to provide support people required. We saw staff had the time to sit with people and provide social stimulation.

Medication procedures at the home were safe. Staff responsible for the administration of medicines had received training to ensure they had the competency and skills required. Medicines were safely kept with appropriate arrangements for storing in place.

We looked around the building and found it had been maintained, was clean and hygienic and a safe place for people to live. We found equipment had been serviced and maintained as required.

The design of the building and facilities provided were appropriate for the care and support provided.

The service had safe infection control procedures in place and staff had received infection control training. Staff wore protective clothing such as gloves and aprons when needed. This reduced the risk of cross infection.

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

Staff knew people they supported and provided a personalised service in a caring and professional manner. Care plans were organised and had identified care and support people required. We found they were informative about care people had received.

People told us they were happy with the variety and choice of meals available to them. We saw regular snacks and drinks were provided between meals to ensure people received adequate nutrition and hydration.

We saw people who lived at the home had access to healthcare professionals and their healthcare needs had been met. Two visiting healthcare professionals spoke highly about the care provided by the registered manager and her staff.

People told us staff were caring towards them. Staff we spoke with understood the importance of high standards of care to give people meaningful lives.

People’s care and support was planned with them. People told us they had been consulted and listened to about how their care would be delivered.

The service had information with regards to support from an external advocate should this be required by them.

The service had a complaints procedure which was made available to people on their admission to the home and their relatives. People we spoke with told us they were happy and had no complaints.

The registered manager used a variety of methods to assess and monitor the quality of the service. These included regular audits, relative meetings and healthcare professional’s surveys to seek their views about the service provided.

Below is a summary of what we found. The summary is based on our observations during the inspection, speaking with people using the service, their relatives, staff supporting them and from looking at records. We also spoke with Blackpool council's contracts monitoring team and Healthwatch Blackpool who are an independent consumer champion for health and social care.

If you want to see the evidence supporting our summary please read our full report.

Is the service safe?

People told us they felt safe and their rights and dignity was respected. They told us they were receiving safe and appropriate care which was meeting their needs. Safeguarding procedures were in place and staff understood how to safeguard people they supported. The home had policies and procedures in relation to the Mental Capacity Act and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards. Relevant staff had been trained to understand when an application should be made and in how to submit one. This meant that people would be safeguarded as required.

The service was safe, clean and hygienic. One person we spoke with said, 'The place is always spotless and smells fresh. I am very happy with the standard of cleanliness in place'. Equipment had been maintained and serviced regularly ensuring people were not put at unnecessary risk.

Is the service effective?

There was an advocacy service available if people needed it, this meant that when required people could access additional support. People's health and care needs had been assessed with them, and they were involved in writing their plans of care. Specialist dietary needs had been identified where required. People said their care plans were up to date and reflected their current needs. The premises had been sensitively adapted to meet the needs of people with physical impairments. One person visiting the home confirmed that they were able to see their relative in private and that visiting times were flexible.

Care plans had risk assessments completed to identify the potential risk of accidents and harm. Staff members we spoke with confirmed guidance was provided to ensure they provided safe and appropriate care. We found care plans were flexible, regularly reviewed for their effectiveness and changed in recognition of the changing needs of the person.

Is the service caring?

People were supported by kind and attentive staff. We saw care workers showed patience and gave encouragement when supporting people. The people we spoke with were very happy with the care being provided. One person said, 'I used to live locally and always said if I needed care I wanted to come to this home. I haven't been disappointed. The staff are all excellent and will do anything for you. I have found them so supportive since I came here. I really cannot praise them highly enough'. Care plans had been maintained recording the care and support people were receiving. Good care practices were observed and people told us they were happy with the support they were receiving.

Is the service responsive?

People spoken with said they were happy with their care and had no complaints. Records showed admissions to the home were well planned. Information about people's care and dietary needs had been recorded. We also saw potential risks to people's health and welfare had been identified. Guidance had been provided for staff to ensure they provided safe and appropriate care.

We saw people received regular health checks with their General Practitioner and the outcome of these visits were recorded on their care records. We found a range of activities were organised to keep people entertained. People told us they enjoyed participating in these and they had fun with staff.

Is the service well-led?

The service had quality assurance systems in place. Records showed that identified problems and opportunities to change things for the better were addressed promptly. As a result the quality of the service was continuously improving. Staff had a good understanding of their roles and responsibilities. People we spoke with said they received a good quality service at all times.

We spoke with two people living at the home. Both said they were happy and liked the staff who supported them. One person said, 'I am quite happy thank you. I have just enjoyed my breakfast and looking forward to lunch. The meals are very good'.

We found the dietary needs and preferences of people living at the home had been documented and staff were aware of these. People told us they enjoyed their meals and they were happy with their care.

We found staffing levels were adequate with an appropriate skill mix to meet the needs of people using the service. We observed the staff team providing sensitive and flexible personal care support. The staff were kind and patient and showed a good understanding of the needs of the people in their care.

During our inspection we contacted the Blackpool contracts monitoring team. They told us they currently had no concerns with the service being provided by the home.

"We discussed my husbands needs in detail when he moved into the home. I was very happy with the whole process and was convinced he would be well looked after. I am regularly consulted about his care and kept informed about changes to his health".

"The staff are very warm and friendly and keep me constantly updated about my husbands care. My husband has settled very quickly and I am very happy with his care. I never worry about him as I know he is in safe hands".

During our inspection we contacted the Blackpool contracts monitoring team. They told us they currently had no concerns with the service being provided by the home.