Archived: Bramley Avenue

Updated 20 August 2015

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 unannounced inspection took place on 23 July 2015 and was completed by one inspector.

We looked at information we held about the service including statutory notifications. A notification is information about important events which the registered manager is required to tell us about by law.

All of the people who used the service had special communication needs. They expressed themselves using a combination of sounds, signs and gestures. We spoke with staff and looked at people’s care plans to help us to communicate with the people who used the service. We also observed how people were cared for to help us understand their experience of the care they received. We spoke with five care staff, the deputy manager and the acting manager during our inspection.

We looked at three people’s care records, resident and staff meeting minutes and medicine administration records. We looked at records in relation to the management of the service including audits and servicing records. We also looked at staff recruitment records, supervision and appraisal processes and training, complaints and quality assurance records.

Updated 20 August 2015

Bramley Avenue is registered to provide accommodation and personal care for up to five people who are living with learning and physical disabilities. At the time of our inspection there were five people living at the home. Accommodation is provided on one level and all bedrooms are single rooms. In addition there are two large communal areas, one of which has a sensory area and a well maintained garden.

This unannounced inspection took place on 23 July 2015. This is the first inspection under this provider.

There was not a registered manager in post. The registered manager resigned from the service in April 2015. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to manage the service. Like registered managers, 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. An acting manager has been employed who will be applying to become registered for Bramley Avenue in the next couple of months.

Robust recruitment processes were not in place to ensure that only suitable staff were employed. There were sufficient numbers of suitable qualified and experienced staff working at the home.

Staff had been trained in medicines administration and safeguarding people from harm and were knowledgeable about how to ensure people’s safety. Medicines were stored correctly but records did not always show that people had received their medication as prescribed.

The CQC is required by law to monitor the operation of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) and to report on what we find. The acting manager, staff were knowledgeable about when a request for a DoLS would be required. Authorisations to lawfully deprive people of their liberty had been submitted and staff were aware of the action to take if further actions were needed. People’s ability to make decisions based on their best interests had been clearly documented to demonstrate which decisions they could make and what these were for.

People’s privacy and dignity was respected by staff. People’s care was provided with compassion and in a way which people appreciated. People’s requests for assistance were responded to promptly.

People’s care records were up-to-date and ensured that people were receiving their care as planned. People were supported to undertake hobbies and interests of their choice.

People were supported to access a range of external health care professionals. This included their allocated GP, optician, chiropodist and dentist. Risks to people’s health were assessed and promptly acted upon by staff.

People were supported with their meals choices and supported to be involved in the preparation and cooking of their meals. Staff ensured appropriate risks assessments were in place where a risk had been identified.

Information on how to make a complaint was available for people and their relatives and staff knew how to respond to any identified concerns or suggestions.

Staff had sought people’s views to identify areas for improvement. Audits and action plans had been completed which demonstrated where action had been taken when improvements had been required.