Branksome Heights

Updated 26 March 2019

The inspection:

• We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team:

• This inspection was conducted by one inspector, an inspection manager and an expert by experience. An expert by experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service. Our expert by experience had knowledge of supporting people with dementia care.

Service and service type:

• Branksome Heights 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.

• The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection:

• Our inspection was unannounced.

What we did:

• Our inspection planning was informed by evidence we already held about the service.

• We had not asked the service to complete a Provider Information Return before this inspection. This is information providers submit to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We were able to gather this information during our inspection.

• We spoke with 10 people who used the service and three relatives. After the inspection we received feedback from a regular visitor.

• We spoke with the registered manager, a provider representative and seven members of staff. We also spoke to a visiting health care professional and received feedback from a social care professional.

• We reviewed nine people's care records, three staff personnel files, audits and other records about the management of the service.

• Throughout our inspection we observed the way staff interacted with people living in the home and performed their roles and responsibilities. We also used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI). SOFI is a way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us.

Updated 26 March 2019

About the service:

• Branksome Heights is a residential care home.

• The home accommodates up to 46 people in one purpose built building.

• At the time of our inspection 35 people were living at the home.

People’s experience of using this service:

• The provider had made good improvements to the service since our inspection in January and February 2018.

• People were safely protected from the potential risk of abuse, and staff were clear on how to identify and report concerns.

• Medicines were now well managed to ensure that people received them safely and in line with best practice.

• Quality assurance systems had improved to ensure that any improvements required were promptly identified and implemented.

• Sufficient risk assessments were in place to ensure that people were safely supported.

• People received support in order to meet their nutritional needs, with good access to other healthcare professionals.

• People’s capacity to consent had been assessed in line with legal requirements and their care was now delivered within this framework.

• People told us that staff were kind, compassionate and attentive to their needs.

• People were treated with dignity and respect.

• Activities were provided to ensure people received appropriate stimulation, and people were consulted on their views about their care.

• The service met the characteristics for a rating of “good” in all the key questions we inspected. Therefore, our overall rating for the service after this inspection was “good”.

• More information is in our full report.

Rating at last inspection:

• At our last inspection, the service was rated “requires improvement”. Our last report was published on 5 April 2018.

Why we inspected:

• All services rated "requires improvement" are re-inspected within one year of the publication of their last inspection report.

• This inspection was part of our scheduled plan of visiting services to check the safety and quality of care people received.

Follow up:

• We will continue to monitor the service to ensure that people receive safe, compassionate, high quality care. Further inspections will be planned in line with scheduling priorities and monitoring information.