We carried out a review of the data available to us about Brambles Care Home on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about Brambles Care Home, you can give feedback on this service.
Brambles Care Home is a residential care home providing personal care to 26 people aged 65 and over at the time of the inspection. The service can support up to 28 people.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People, relatives and staff all gave overwhelmingly positive feedback of the service. A relative summed this up when they told us, “The staff, the building, the whole concept of care, it’s absolutely brilliant. It’s one lovely family.”
Care and support was of an excellent standard and person centred. Care plans were in place which set out how to meet people’s individual needs and people themselves were involved in deciding upon and planning their care. People’s communication needs were assessed and met in an accessible way which showed innovation in the use of technology. A wide range of activities, both in house and in the community, were provided. These were not only chosen by people, in some instances they ran them as well. Arrangements were in place to provide caring and sensitive support to people at the end of life stage of care which supported people to make choices and family to be involved. There was a complaints procedure in place and complaints received had been dealt with in line with the procedure.
The service was exceptionally well managed. People, relatives and staff all told us how approachable and supportive the registered manager was and the whole management ethos demonstrated an open and inclusive culture. The management helped promote positive outcomes for people that reflected their wishes and promoted equality and diversity. The registered manager worked closely with other agencies to share and develop best practice.
The provider had systems in place to protect people from the risk of abuse. Risk assessments were in place which provided guidance on how to support people safely, although people were able to take risks where they had the capacity to make decisions about this. There were enough staff working at the service and robust checks were carried out on staff to check their suitability. Medicines were stored and administered in a safe way and people were able to manage their own medicines where appropriate. The home was clean, and steps were taken to reduce the risk of the spread of infection. Accidents and incidents were recorded and reviewed so lessons could be learned of things went wrong.
Assessments were carried out of people’s needs before they moved in and people were invited to visit the home to help them decide if it was suitable for them. Staff had the knowledge and skills to support people. People told us they liked the food and most people said there was plenty of choice. The service met people’s healthcare needs and ensured they had access to relevant healthcare professionals. People were supported to have maximum choice and control over 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. People were able to consent to the care they received and make choices over their daily lives.
People were treated in a kind and caring way by staff and staff understood the importance of promoting people’s dignity, privacy and independence. The service met people’s needs in relation to equality, diversity and human rights issues. The provider took steps to protect people’s right to confidentiality.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last
The last rating for this service was good (published 22 April 2017).
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.
Brambles Care Home is registered to provide personal care and accommodation for up to 28 people. There were 26 mostly older people using the service during our inspection; who were living with a range of health and support needs.
Brambles is a large detached property situated in the village of Wye. There were 28 bedrooms over two floors with a passenger and stair lift to aid access to the first floor. People also had access to two large communal lounge and dining rooms, bathrooms, toilets and large gardens.
The service had a registered manager, who was not available during the inspection; however the deputy manager was. 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.
Staff followed correct and appropriate procedures in the storage and dispensing of medicines. People were supported in a safe environment and risks identified for people were managed in a way that enabled people to live as independent a life as possible. People were supported to maintain good health and attended appointments and check-ups. Health needs were kept under review and appropriate referrals were made when required.
A robust system to recruit new staff was in place. This was to make sure that the staff employed to support people were fit and appropriate to be working with people. There were sufficient numbers of staff on duty to make sure people were safe and received the care and support that they needed.
Staff had completed induction training when they first started to work at the service. Staff were supported during their induction, monitored and assessed to check that they had attained the right skills and knowledge to be able to care for, support and meet people’s needs. Staff continued to receive training, competence checks and support to meet the needs of people. There were staff meetings, so staff could discuss any issues and share new ideas with their colleagues, to improve people’s care and lives.
People were protected from the risk of abuse. Staff had received safeguarding training. They were aware of how to recognise and report safeguarding concerns. Staff knew about whistle blowing and were confident they could raise any concerns with the provider or outside agencies if needed.
Equipment and the premises received regular checks and servicing in order to ensure it was safe. The registered manager monitored incidents and accidents to make sure the care provided was safe. Emergency plans were in place so if an emergency happened, like a fire, the staff knew what to do.
The care and support needs of each person were different, and each person’s care plan was individual to them. Care plans, risk assessments and guidance were in place to help staff to support people in an individual way. People's legal rights were protected as staff provided care in line with the Mental Capacity Act (2005). Correct procedures were followed when depriving people of their liberty. Staff followed the guidance of healthcare professionals where appropriate and we saw evidence of staff working alongside healthcare professionals to achieve outcomes for people.
Staff actively encouraged people to be involved and feel included in their environment. People were offered varied activities and participated in social activities of their choice. Staff knew people and their support needs very well and activities were centred on the person. Feedback we received from people, their relatives and health professionals was wholly positive. We were told about consistently high standards of care; which improved the quality of people’s lives and gave their families peace of mind. We observed warm, caring attitudes from staff and commitment to provide the best service for people.
Staff were caring, kind and respected people’s privacy and dignity. There were positive and caring interactions between the staff and people and people were comfortable and at ease with staff. Staff supported people in a way that enhanced their wellbeing and improved their quality of life. People were supported to maintain their independence in different ways.
People were complimentary about the food and were offered choices around their meals and hydration needs. Staff understood people’s likes and dislikes and dietary requirements and promoted people to eat a healthy and nutritious diet.
Staff told us that the service was well led and that they felt well supported by the registered and deputy managers to make sure they could support and care for people safely and effectively. Systems were in place to ensure care at the home was of a good quality. People's feedback was regularly sought and action was taken to implement improvements. The deputy manager and care coordinator had a good oversight of the service and were able to assist us in all aspects of our inspection.