Brooklands Nursing Home

On this page

• Overview
• Kindness, compassion and dignity
• Treating people as individuals
• Independence, choice and control
• Responding to people’s immediate needs
• Workforce wellbeing and enablement

Caring – this means we looked for evidence that the provider involved people and treated them with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect. At our last assessment we rated this key question requires improvement. At this assessment the rating has changed to good. This meant people were supported and treated with dignity and respect; and involved as partners in their care.

This service scored 75 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

The provider always treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

People and their relatives told us staff were kind and caring. One relative said, “They know people really well, and I see [staff] being so kind and caring.” Relatives also told us their loved ones were treated with dignity and respect. One relative commented, “[Relative] is always treated with dignity and respect, and I have never seen any staff with other residents be anything other than kind and caring.”

Staff appeared to know people well, and we observed positive interactions between staff and people living at the service. Relatives consistently told us staff had a good understanding of their family members' needs. One relative said, “[Relative] knows the staff and they know [relative] so well. All [relative's] needs are met.” Another told us, “I feel the staff do know [relative's] needs very well.”

The provider treated people as individuals and made sure people’s care, support and treatment met people’s needs and preferences. People bedrooms were personalised with people's belongings, photographs and other meaningful items, helping to create a familiar and homely environment. People were also supported to celebrate important life events and occasions that were meaningful to them. A relative told us, “The go above and beyond with things, [relative] had birthday cake and a party, and even on Father’s Day they came to [relatives] room with a card.” Another relative said “If it’s a resident’s birthday they make a fuss of them, birthday cake. They are encouraged to make friends there, my [relative] is a different person since going into the home, and from the bottom of my heart I can say even if I won the lottery, I would not move [relative].”

The provider promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing. People and their relatives shared positive feedback about how staff promoted independence. One relative told us, “They encourage [relative] to eat independently but are there to help when needed. I have seen the staff patiently encourage [relative] to the beaker for a drink, but they step in when [relative] needs help.”

The service maintained a board displaying activities that had taken place and shared a newsletter with people that included details of upcoming events. During our visit, we observed people engaging in activities and being offered choice about participation, with staff respecting their decisions and supporting involvement. Relatives spoke positively about the activities available. One relative told us, “We do see the staff do a lot of activities. If [relative] is not able to go to the activities, they will always bring something to [relative], like the other day they brought a pet dog in to see [relative].” Another relative said, “The activities are very good, they had an ice cream van come along and residents really enjoyed that. [Relative] even went with one staff member to the local shop. I see staff interact with residents and the residents always appear happy.”

People were encouraged and supported to maintain relationships that were important to them. During our inspection, we observed people receiving visits from friends and relatives, who told us they felt welcomed by the service. One relative commented, “I visit 3-4 times a week and am always made welcome.”

The provider listened to and understood people’s needs, views and wishes. Staff responded to people’s needs in the moment and acted to minimise any discomfort, concern or distress. The service had a call bell system in place to enable people to request assistance when required. During our visit, we observed staff responding to call bells promptly and in a timely manner. The service also monitored call bell response times electronically, with the registered manager reviewing performance on a monthly basis. We reviewed the most recent report, which demonstrated people were being supported within appropriate timescales. Most people’s relatives told us they felt there were enough staff available to meet people's needs. One relative said, “We always feel there is enough staff around when we visit.”

The provider cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care. Staff told us they felt well supported by the management team. One member of staff said, “I always feel supported and valued. If there is any support I need, management always help me.” Another member of staff told us, “I feel supported by the management team, especially [registered manager], and I feel that my development is encouraged.” Staff also described a supportive culture where they felt comfortable approaching managers for advice and assistance when needed.

The registered manager described initiatives to support staff wellbeing. These included access to an Employee Assistance Programme, information and resources promoting mental health and wellbeing, and signposting to external support. The service also recognised staff contributions through initiatives such as Employee of the Month, with achievements celebrated and acknowledged during staff meetings.

The registered manager emphasised the importance of maintaining regular contact with staff, offering both personal and professional support. They told us they encouraged staff to speak openly about any concerns and regularly checked on their wellbeing to ensure they felt supported in their roles. Staff feedback reflected this approach and demonstrated a positive and supportive working culture.