Archived: Briarvale

Updated 21 November 2018

Briarvale is a ‘care home’ that provides accommodation for up to ten people with learning disabilities, some of whom are unable to communicate verbally. At the time of this inspection there were seven people using the service.

People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

This inspection took place on the 18 and 25 October 2018 and was announced. We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection visit because the location was a small care home for younger adults who are often out during the day. We needed to be sure that they would be in.

At our last inspection we found the service was good. At this inspection, we found the evidence continued to support the rating of 'Good' and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and on-going monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns.

This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

We reviewed information that we held about the service such as notifications, which are events which happened in the service that the provider is required to tell us about, and information that had been sent to us by other agencies.

We sought feedback from commissioners who placed people and monitored the service.

During this inspection we spoke with two people, three relatives, and a visiting healthcare professional. We also spoke with the regional manager, an acting manager plus nine members of support staff,

We looked at four people’s support records to see if they reflected the care provided, and three staff recruitment records. We looked at other information related to the running of the service, including quality assurance audits, health and safety documentation, staff training information and arrangements for managing complaints.

Updated 21 November 2018

Briarvale is a residential care home that can accommodate a maximum of 10 people, some of whom may live with learning or physical difficulties. The service is set over two floors and has a small garden to the rear.

At our last inspection we rated the service good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of good. and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

Since our last inspection the overall management of the service had changed. There was an acting manager in place who told us that an application for a registered manager was currently being dealt with. 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 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

The staff were caring and kind and people and relatives told us the home had a relaxed atmosphere. Staff engaged with people and shared jokes with them, which people clearly enjoyed. Family members said they could visit at any time and always found people well-cared for and happy.

People were safe living at the home and staff knew how to support them to stay safe. Effective systems and checks ensured the premises were safe for people. There were sufficient staff to meet people’s needs. Medicines were safely managed and given to people when they needed them.

People’s needs were assessed prior to them moving into Briarvale, to ensure that staff were able to provide appropriate support. The staff were skilled, knowledgeable and experienced and had the necessary continuous training to support people in an appropriate way.

People had regular access to healthcare professionals and staff sought support from them when needed.

People were encouraged to make decisions about their support, care and day-to-day routines. Staff demonstrated that they worked within the principles of the Mental Capacity Act and there was documentation to support this.

People were encouraged to follow their interests. People and relatives told us about some of the activities they had enjoyed. These included shopping, meals out and holidays.

The culture of the home was caring and inclusive, with people at the heart of the service provided. People and relatives told us the acting manager and staff were always approachable and helpful.

There were effective systems in place to monitor the quality of the service. People and relatives had the opportunity to comment on the quality of the service that was provided.