Background to this inspection
Updated
17 March 2021
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.
As part of CQC’s response to the coronavirus pandemic we are looking at the preparedness of care homes in relation to infection prevention and control. This was a targeted inspection looking at the infection control and prevention measures the provider had in place.
This inspection took place on 19 February 2021 and was announced.
Updated
17 March 2021
What life is like for people using this service:
A new manager had recently been employed at the service. They were in the process of registering with us.
People, their relatives and the staff all told us they felt confident in the leadership and management of the service.
We found the registered provider demonstrated a commitment to continuing to drive forward improvements in the service. The registered provider was always looking for ways to develop and improve the support provided to people who lived with dementia. This helped people receive good quality care in line with current and developing best practice.
Staff morale was good and the team were committed to ensuring people received care and support based on their preferences and choices. The staff team had recently won a national award for staff team of the year.
Staff had received training in safeguarding adults and knew what action they should take if they witness poor care or they thought a person was at risk. They were confident that the registered provider and manager would act to ensure people were kept safe.
People said they were always treated with respect and felt well cared for. Staff were safely recruited and good staffing levels afforded people responsive and dignified support.
People lived in a clean and comfortable environment and systems were in place to ensure the safe handling of medicines.
People’s care records showed that individual risk assessments were in place to help ensure they received safe care and support.
The manager ensured authorisation for any restrictive practices, carried out in people’s best interest, had been applied for from the relevant local authority.
People were supported by staff who had received training and support to provide effective care, with further developments planned.
The Cherry Blossom suite had been specifically designed to help people who lived with dementia find their way around, with wide corridors for those who wanted to walk without purpose.
People’s records showed their personal wishes and preferences had been considered. The records were kept under review to ensure people’s care and support needs had not changed.
People received support to engage in activities at Brookdale and were also able to do so within the local community. There were two activity co-ordinators who were committed and passionate about the role.
More information is in the detailed findings below.
Rating at last inspection: Good (report published January 2016).
About the service: Brookdale Care Home provides personal care for up to 58 mainly older people some who lived with dementia. At the time of the inspection 47 people used the service.
Why we inspected: This was a planned inspection based on the rating at the last inspection. This inspection was unannounced and took place on 12 and 16 November 2018 and completed on 17 December 2018.
Brookdale is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.
A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run. At the time of our inspection an application had been made by the manager to register with us. They were approved by CQC shortly after our inspection.
At our last inspection in November 2015 we rated the service as 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 ongoing 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.