Brackley care home safety 'requires improvement' but receives 'good' rating overall on its first inspection

Brackley Care Home is a residential care home providing personal and nursing care for up to 66 younger and older people with a diagnosis of dementia, mental health and/or physical disabilities.

At the time of the Care Quality Commission’s inspection on May 16 there were 35 people using the service. It was a planned visit and the first one since the home’s registration in November 2020.

Inspectors found that medicine administration was not consistently recorded regarding as required medicines. The registered manager was aware of this and immediately put strategies in place to mitigate the risk of this occurring again. People were supported to have their medicines as prescribed by staff who had been trained and assessed as competent.

People were protected from known risks. However, records were not always completed to evidence this, inspectors found. Risk assessments were completed, and strategies identified to mitigate these risks. Staff understood safeguarding and how to recognise and report any concerns of potential abuse.

Staff were safely recruited, inducted and trained to meet people's needs. Adequate staffing levels were observed, the new report says.

People were supported by staff who knew them well and had the information required to meet their needs. People and relatives were all consistently positive about the staff and the support they received.

Care plans contained person-centred, detailed information to support staff in understanding the person's individual holistic needs. People's likes, dislikes, preferences, choices and life history had been recorded. 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's communication needs were assessed and when required, information had been presented in a different format to meet people's needs, such as large print or ‘easy-read’.

Staff supported people to access healthcare services as required. Any specialist support was recorded, and actions completed. People were supported to access activities, outings and celebrations. Friend and relatives were welcomed into the service and people were supported to maintain relationships.

People were protected from infections. Staff wore appropriate personal protective equipment, the home was regularly cleaned and the registered manager followed government guidance on COVID-19.

The registered manager had systems and processes in place to make improvements to the service and gain people, relatives and staff views. There was an improvement plan in place and action plans were completed when any concerns were identified. People, relatives and staff knew how to complain.

Governance systems were in place to ensure people were supported in a dignified person-centred way by staff who understood and respected people.

The full report can be seen here.

Brackley Care home is run by Kingsley Healthcare which has 33 homes across the country. The company’s ‘ambitious new-builds and acquisitions programme’ aims to see the group double in size over the next five years.