Archived: Brandon House

Updated 6 December 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. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by one inspector 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.

Service and service type

Brandon House is a 'care home'. 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 service does not provide nursing care.

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

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with nine people who used the service about their experiences of the care provided. We spoke with six members of staff including the registered manager, area manager, a senior carer, two care assistants and activities co-ordinator. We reviewed a range of records. This included four people’s care records and multiple medicine records. We looked at three staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. We also reviewed a variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at training data and quality assurance records. We spoke with two professionals who regularly visit people at the service and two relatives.

Updated 6 December 2019

About the service

Brandon House is a residential care home providing personal care, but not nursing care for up to a maximum of 42 people. There were 39 people using the service at the time of the inspection. The service is registered to support people with their mental health needs.

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

People received safe care from knowledgeable and caring staff. Staff understood their responsibilities to identify and report any concerns. The service had recruitment and selection processes in place designed to recruit only staff suitable to work in providing care. The registered manager assessed people’s needs and used a dependency tool to calculate the number of staff required to be on duty to support people. Medicines were managed safely and people received their medicines as prescribed.

Each person had a care plan containing a risk assessment and people’s choices of how they wished to be supported with their needs. The staff were provided with supervision and on-going support including training. Staff recorded when necessary how they had supported people to have enough to eat and drink of their choice. 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 told us that their personal care and support was provided in a way which maintained their privacy and dignity. People spoke positively about the way staff treated them and reported that they received appropriate care. Staff demonstrated a good knowledge and understanding of the people they cared for and supported, such as people with a diagnosis of diabetes or dementia.

Complaints were handled and responded to in line with the provider's complaints policy. People and their relatives could give their views on the service and this information was acted upon.

The registered manager had a clear oversight of the service and had quality assurance checks in place which enabled them to organise the service delivery. The service worked closely with other professionals to support the people living at the service.

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 April 2017). Since this rating was awarded the registered provider of the service has changed. We have used the previous rating to inform our planning and decisions about the rating at this inspection.

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.