Archived: Bramley Court

Updated 1 June 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. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team:

The inspection was carried out by a lead inspector, a second inspector and two experts 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:

Bramley Court is a care home with nursing. People receive accommodation, nursing and personal care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

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:

The inspection was unannounced.

What we did:

Before the inspection we looked at information we had about the service. This information included the statutory notifications that the provider had sent to CQC. A notification is information about important events, which the service is required to send us by law. The provider had completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what it does well and improvements they plan to make.

During our visit we spent a period observing how people were spending their time and the interactions between them and the staff team. We did this to assess what the quality of care was for those people who could not describe this for themselves. This was because some people had a degree of cognitive impairment or were living with dementia.

We spoke with four people living at Bramley Court and six relatives. We spent time with the registered manager and deputy. We spoke with 12 staff members including the administrator, registered nurses, care staff and ancillary staff.

We looked at ten people's care records, together with other records relating to their care and the running of the service. This included seven staff employment records, policies and procedures, complaints, audits and quality assurance reports.

Updated 1 June 2019

About the service: Bramley Court is registered to provide personal and nursing care for up to 76 people. Some people may have a diagnosis of dementia. At the time of the inspection there were 71 people living in the home.

People’s experience of using this service:

The feedback we received from people and relatives was good. Staff we met and spoke with were happy and proud; they were loyal and committed to the provider and registered manager. This was reflected in their attitudes and integrity during the inspection. All staff on duty were happy to contribute to the inspection and share their views and experiences.

The service was safe and risks to people were managed well. Staff knew how to protect people from harm and had received safeguarding training. People were living in a safe, well maintained environment. The service was clean and tidy and free from any unpleasant odour. There were enough staff employed to help keep people safe and to meet their needs. We found that recruitment practices were safe and the relevant checks were completed before staff started work at the service. There were systems in place to ensure medicines were managed, stored and administered safely.

The service was effective in meeting people’s needs. Staff received regular supervision and support. The annual training programme was extensive and equipped staff with essential skills and knowledge. Arrangements were made for people to see a GP and other healthcare professionals when they needed to do so. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible. The policies and systems in the service supported this practice. People were provided with a healthy, balanced diet whilst promoting and respecting choice.

The service was caring towards people. People were treated with kindness, respect and compassion and people were given support when they needed it. Staff were seen to be caring towards people they supported and spoke about people positively. Staff had very good knowledge of the people they supported, including their life histories, the things they liked and didn't like and the people who were important to them.

The service was responsive to people’s health and social needs. People received person-centred care and support. Regular monitoring and reviews meant that referrals had been made to appropriate health and social care professionals. Where necessary care and support had been changed to accurately reflect people's needs and improve their health and wellbeing. People received end of life care that was dignified, respectful and caring. People were encouraged to make their views known and the service responded by making changes.

The service was well led. People received a high standard of care because the management team led by example and had high expectations about the standards of care people should receive. Staff were enthusiastic and happy in their work. They felt supported within their roles and held the management team in high regard. Staff described working together as a team, how they were dedicated to providing person-centred care and helping people to achieve their potential. Systems were in place to monitor the quality and safety of the service and the care people received.

Rating at last inspection: Good (published October 2016).

Why we inspected: This was a planned inspection based on previous rating.

Follow up: We will continue to monitor the service through the information we receive. We will visit the service in line with our inspection schedule, or sooner if required.

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