Archived: The Brandles

Updated 1 February 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 one inspector.

Service and service type

The Brandles 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.

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 reviewed information we had received about the service. Prior to the inspection we received a letter from one of the residents about their satisfaction at living at The Brandles. We sought feedback from the local authority and Healthwatch. Healthwatch is an independent consumer champion that gathers and represents the views of the public about health and social care services in England. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

The provider was in the process of completing a provider information return at the time of this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report.

During the inspection

We spoke with four people who used the service, the relative of one person and a visiting professional to seek their views about the care provided. We also spoke with three members of the staff team including the provider, registered manager, deputy manager and support staff.

We reviewed a range of records, including the medication administration records (MARs), the care records for two people, two staff personnel files, training records as well as information relating to health and safety and management and oversight of the service.

After the inspection

Following our visit to the home we also spoke with two members of staff to seek their views about working at the home.

Updated 1 February 2020

About the service

The Brandles is a small care home located in Bury, Greater Manchester. The service provides accommodation and support for up to seven people with mental health needs. At the time of our inspection there were seven people living in the home.

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

The provider continued to meet the regulations in relation to safeguarding and complaints, recruitment and training, medication, health care & nutrition, infection control, health and safety and maintenance checks.

People said they were encouraged to be as independent as possible. People who were able were seen to come and go freely following routines and taking part in activities of their own choosing in the local and wider communities.

Care records were personalised and reflected people’s individual needs, wishes and preference. Risks to people’s health and well-being were assessed and planned for to help keep them safe.

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. Where necessary, staff continued to support people in making decisions with support from social workers, health professionals, relatives and advocates. Legal authorisation had been sought where people were being deprived of the liberty.

Relevant recruitment checks were completed. Sufficient numbers of skilled and experienced staff were available to meet people's needs. Staff said they received lots of training and were supported in their role. People’s current and changing needs were effectively communicated and responded to.

People’s prescribed medicines were managed safely. Staff worked closely with healthcare agencies so people received the care and treatment they needed. People were encouraged to follow a balanced diet and took part in the planning, purchasing and preparation of their meals.

People were provided with comfortable, homely accommodation. Relevant maintenance checks were carried out to maintain the safety of the building. Hygiene standards were maintained.

The registered manager continued to monitor and review the quality of service provided and took action to make improvements where shortfalls they had found. Safe systems were in place for responding and reporting safeguarding concerns and complaints. People said they felt safe and their views were listened and responded to.

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 17 August 2017).

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.