Brook House

Brook House is a care home providing accommodation, personal and nursing care for up to four people with a learning disability, such as autism. At the time of our inspection four people were living at the service. Each person had their own bedsit which consisted of a lounge/dining/kitchenette area, bathroom and bedroom.

The service has been developed and designed in line with the principles and values that underpin Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. This ensures that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes. The principles reflect the need for people with learning disabilities and/or autism to live meaningful lives that include control, choice, and independence. People using the service receive planned and co-ordinated person-centred support that is appropriate and inclusive for them.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

People had access to activities and although there were more opportunities for people since our last inspection, people would benefit from additional individualised activities. We have issued a recommendation to the registered manager in relation to this.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of 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 and their relatives said staff were kind and caring. People were encouraged to make their own decisions and develop new skills around day to day living. People lived in an environment that was clean, suitable for their needs, giving them privacy and a sense of ownership.

People received the medicines they required and staff followed guidance in order to keep people safe and free from harm. Information in people’s support plans gave enough guidance to staff to enable them to provide responsive care.

People were cared for by staff who received training and who were competent in their role. People had access to professional support and staff supported people to eat a range of different foods of their choosing in order to keep healthy.

Staff checked the service was working well and involved people, their relatives and staff in decisions. Staff were looking for ways to strengthen community engagement.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was Good (published 21 September 2017). We found at this inspection, the service had sustained the Good rating.

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.

Brook House provides accommodation, personal care and support for up to four adults who have a learning disability which may include epilepsy or autism. Each person has their own individual flat which contained a living area, bedroom and bathroom. Within the living area there was a kitchenette in which people could make snacks and do their laundry.

There was a registered manager in place. 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.

People’s support plans were detailed and included guidelines to staff on how to provide the care and support people needed. This included addressing any potential risks to people, either within or outside of the home. People who had on-going healthcare conditions were supported to see healthcare professionals regularly. People who had needs related to eating and drinking had appropriate guidance in place and people’s medicines were managed safely and stored appropriately. People were involved in choosing what they wished to eat and were encouraged to participate in the preparation of meals.

There was good management oversight of the home. Although the registered manager was not present during our inspection other staff were able to assist us. Records were well organised, up to date and stored confidentially where necessary. The rota was planned to ensure there were sufficient staff to keep people safe and meet their needs. Staff understood their roles in keeping people safe and protecting them from abuse. The provider carried out appropriate pre-employment checks before staff started work.

Where people had accidents and incidents these were recorded and reviewed by staff so appropriate action could be taken. Staff maintained a safe environment, including appropriate standards of fire safety. The provider had developed plans to ensure people would continue to receive care in the event of an emergency.

People were supported to make choices in their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible. Staff knew people well and were competent in their roles as they had access to training and on-going support from their line managers.

People were supported by caring staff. Staff treated people with respect and maintained their privacy and dignity. People had access to activities both within and outside of the home. Staff acted within the principals of the Mental Capacity Act to ensure that the correct processes were followed with regards to decisions for people.

The provider had an appropriate complaints procedure and complaints received were responded to appropriately. Staff worked well together and told us there was a good culture within the home. We found this to be the case. Team meetings were used for staff to discuss all aspects of the home and resident’s meeting demonstrated people were included in decisions.

Staff made regular in-house checks and the provider’s area manager carried out regular audits. Any actions identified were addressed.