- Care home
Brooklands Nursing Home
Assessment report published 25 September 2026
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
Date of assessment: 27 August to 10 September 2026. The service is a care home with nursing, providing support for up to 45 older people, including people living with dementia. At the time of our assessment there were 41 people living at the service. We undertook an unannounced assessment with onsite activity on the 27 August 2026. At the last rated inspection in March 2023, we rated the service as requires improvement, and at this inspection we saw improvements had been made, and the rating has changed to Good.
There was a registered manager in post, and staff spoke positively about their leadership, telling us they felt able to raise concerns and were confident the registered manager would respond appropriately. The service used lessons learned following incidents and concerns and shared these with staff to help reduce the risk of similar issues occurring in the future.
The provider had completed the required pre-employment checks, however, employment histories had not always been fully reviewed to identify gaps and ensure safer recruitment decisions. Staff had received training, regular supervision and competency assessments to support them in their roles. Staff spoke positively about the support they received from the management team.
Assessments for people living in shared rooms had not always been completed in line with the service's policy, reducing assurance that people's needs and preferences had been considered. However, care plans were person-centred, reflected people’s individual needs, and were informed by information shared by people and their relatives about what was important to them.
Mental capacity assessments did not always contain sufficient detail. However, we observed staff encouraging people to make choices, and the registered manager actively sought to involve people in the running of the home by encouraging them to share feedback and views about the service.
People spoke positively about the activities available, and we observed warm, positive interactions between staff and people living at the service. Meals were well regarded, and people were supported to make choices and maintain their independence. One person told us staff provided support when needed while respecting their independence.
Audits were detailed and helped identify areas for improvement. However, some issues had been overlooked, particularly in relation to medicines management, where guidance for administering PRN medicines was not always sufficiently detailed.
People's experience of this service
During this assessment, we spoke with people living at the service, their relatives, staff, the management team and sought feedback from external healthcare professionals.
People and their relatives spoke positively about the care and support provided. One relative told us, “[Relative] is definitely safe here because there are plenty of staff around to check on [relative], and mainly they are very focused on her needs.” Another said, “[Relative] has always been treated with dignity and respect.”
Feedback about activities was positive. One person said, “They have lots of activities going on and I join in most of them.” People and their relatives spoke positively about the food. One person said, “The food is quite good and if you don’t want something you can ask for something else to eat.” Another person told us, “The food is brilliant, and if I don’t like what is offered, I can have something else.”
Relatives told us they were kept informed about people’s wellbeing and any changes in their needs. Comments included, “Yes, we are kept updated with any changes to [relative],” and “I am always notified of any health concerns. The other day they phoned me to say [relative] had a sore eye, and straight away the doctor was called and eye drops prescribed.”
Most relatives were aware of the registered manager and described them as approachable. One person told us, “Yes, the manager is very approachable, and I often see her to say hello.” A relative said, “Yes, I have spoken to the manager several times, they are very approachable, and I know I could always go to the office if I wanted to.” Those who had not met the manager still felt able to raise concerns, with one relative telling us, “No, I cannot say I have met the manager, but there is a board up with details on it if I want to complain.”