Archived: Brendoncare Chiltern View

Updated 12 March 2020

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 two inspectors.

Service and service type

Brendoncare Chiltern View is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). 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. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with three people who used the service and four relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with eight members of staff including the provider’s head of care, registered manager, nursing staff, care workers and ancillary staff. We 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.

We reviewed a range of records. This included seven people’s care records and multiple medicines records. We looked at two staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

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 requested feedback from staff and community professionals.

Updated 12 March 2020

About the service

Brendoncare Chiltern View is a residential care home providing personal and nursing care for older people living with dementia and or mental health concerns. It is registered to provide support for 30 people. At the time of the inspection 27 people were living at the home.

The home is a single storey adapted building. People had individual bedrooms. The home was split into two wings, each had a lounge area, which housed different seating options to meet people’s needs. The front door was locked, and access was supervised by staff, however, people had free access to the back garden, we routinely saw people accessing outside areas. The garden area had been fully equipped with seating and plants which provided colour.

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

People were supported by a service that did not routinely notify the Commission of events it was required to inform us about. We found mixed understanding about the Mental Capacity Act 2005. However, we found 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 were supported by staff who demonstrated kindness, compassion and knew how to promote their dignity. Staff understood how to minimise the likelihood of harm to people. People were supported with their prescribed medicines by staff who were deemed competent and received regularly training to keep their skills and knowledge up to date.

People’s likes, dislikes and interests were well known by staff. People were offered opportunities to engage in meaningful activities.

People were supported to maintain their health and well-being. Meals were healthy and balanced, and people were supported to maintain good hydration.

People’s relatives felt their family members were well cared for and they felt welcome when they visited the home. The registered manager was praised by staff and relatives and described as “Lovely, very approachable and fair”, “Very approachable” and “Very supportive.”

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 10 August 2017).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

We have found evidence that the provider needs to make improvements. Please see the effective and well-led sections of this full report. We found no evidence during this inspection that people were at risk of harm from this concern.

Enforcement

We have identified breaches in relation to the application and use of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and compliance with the legal requirement to notify the Commission of certain events.

Please see the action we have told the provider to take at the end of this report.

Follow up

We will request an action plan for the provider to understand what they will do to improve the standards of quality and safety. We will work alongside the provider and local authority to monitor progress. We will return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.