- Care home
Millbrow Care Home
Report from 12 May 2025 assessment
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
Date of Assessment: 3 June 2025 and 4 June 2025. The service is a nursing home providing support to older people living with dementia and nursing needs. The provider fostered a positive learning culture where people could raise concerns, and managers investigated incidents thoroughly to ensure safety. The provider was previously in breach of the legal regulation in relation to Safe care and treament. Improvements were found at this assessment and the provider was no longer in breach of this regulation. Staff understood and managed risks well, and the facilities and equipment now mostly met people's needs, being clean and well-maintained. However, some areas needed redecoration and were not always suitable for people with dementia we fed this back at the time of our inspection. Medicines were now generally managed well, though some improvements were needed in applying creams and PRN plans. There were sometimes not enough staff to respond promptly to people's needs, but this was already recognised by the registered manager.
Staff had the right skills, qualifications, and experience, and received ongoing training and regular appraisals to ensure high-quality care.
People were involved in assessing their needs, and staff reviewed these assessments considering communication, personal, and health needs. Care was based on current evidence and best practices. Most people enjoyed the food, which offered a variety of options, and they received enough to eat and drink. Staff collaborated with other agencies to ensure the best outcomes and smooth transitions when changing services. They monitored health to support healthy living and ensured people understood their care and treatment to give informed consent. When individuals lacked capacity, decisions were made in their best interests with input from those important to them.
People were treated with kindness and respect, with their privacy and dignity protected. Staff supported individual preferences and encouraged maintaining relationships with family and friends. The provider also supported staff wellbeing.
People were involved in decisions about their care and received information in an understandable way. They knew how to give feedback and trusted that it was taken seriously. The service was accessible, worked to eliminate discrimination, and provided fair and equal treatment. Staff received training to reduce health and care inequalities, and people were involved in planning their care, including options about withdrawing or refusing care.
Leadership was based on listening, learning, and trust. Leaders were visible, knowledgeable, and supportive, helping staff develop their roles. Staff felt supported and free from bullying or harassment, including those with protected characteristics. Staff understood their roles, and managers collaborated with the local community to improve care. There was a culture of continuous improvement, with staff given time and resources to try new ideas. The provider was previously in breach of the legal regulation in relation to governance. There was now a good governance structure in place.
People's experience of this service
People were positive regarding the care they received at the home and about the home in general. People told us they felt safe. Relatives comments included “Yes, mum is safe here. They escalate any concerns.” Another relative said “Yes I feel dad is safe and well looked after.” One person told us “Yes I feel safe and I get my medication on time.”
People told us the staff were caring but they sometimes had to wait as there was not always enough of them to answer their call bells on time. One person said “The staff are kind, but sometimes they can take a long time to come.” Another person said “The staff are absolutely lovely, its not their fault, they can sometimes take a while to come.” The person did not comment further about this. A relative told us the staff were “lovely, kind and caring.”
People told us they liked the activities. Comments included “Yes I like playing balloon volleyball and flower arranging.”
People told us the manager was approachable. Comments included “I can approach the manager if I need to.” A relative told us “I know who the manager is, and I would have no problem reporting any concerns.” Some people said they did not know who the manager was, which we raised with the registered manager who agreed to implement more walkarounds based off this feedback.