Archived: Brain Injury Rehabilitation Trust - Spindlebury

Updated 1 March 2018

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

This announced inspection took place on 8 January 2018. On 15 January 2018 we spoke with members of the staff team by telephone who were not available at the site visit.

The inspection team consisted of one adult social care inspector.

Prior to the inspection we reviewed the Provider Information Return (PIR). The PIR is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We also reviewed the information we held about the service and notifications we had received. A notification is information about important events which the service is required to send us by law.

We spent time speaking with one person receiving a service and the member of staff on duty. We also spoke with the interim assistant manager, divisional manager and clinical psychologist.

We reviewed all of the care records relating to one person; three staff personnel files, staff training records and a selection of policies, procedures and records relating to the management of the service. We sought feedback from three health and social care professionals to obtain their views of the service provided to people. We received feedback from one professional.

Updated 1 March 2018

This announced inspection took place on 8 January 2018. On 15 January 2018 we spoke with members of staff by telephone who were not available at the site visit. We gave the provider 48 hours’ notice as this is a small service where people live independently, and we needed to be sure they would be available to speak with us. At our last inspection in November 2015 the service was rated Good. At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

Spindlebury is registered to provide care and support for up to two people. One person was living at the service at the time of the inspection. The service provides care, accommodation and rehabilitation support for people with an acquired brain injury. The service operates in partnership with The Woodmill, an acute rehabilitation service, which forms part of the nationwide rehabilitation support services provided by The Brain Injury Rehabilitation Trust (BIRT).

Spindlebury is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as 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.

Why the service is rated …

A registered manager was in place but not available on the day of the inspection. The registered manager is also registered as the manager of two other small community based residential services and The Woodmill, a local acute rehabilitation service. They divide their time between the services. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

The provider employed a multidisciplinary team, which consisted of a clinical psychologist; speech and language therapist; occupational therapists and physiotherapists. People using this service were supported by the multidisciplinary team.

People were protected against the risk of abuse and harm. Staff had a clear understanding of safeguarding and how to protect people from abuse and neglect. People’s medicines were safely managed. However we have made a recommendation that the service follows the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Guideline, Managing Medicines in Care Homes Published 14 March 2014. This was to help the service to ensure they maintained good practice in relation to medicines management. Risks associated with people’s support needs were identified and well managed.

There were sufficient staff available to meet people’s needs. People were supported by caring and compassionate staff that had the skills and knowledge to meet the diverse needs of the people using the service.

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 support this practice. People were supported to maintain good health. They had access to healthcare services and received on going rehabilitation and healthcare support.

Care was well planned and reviewed with the person, to ensure it continued to meet their needs. People had access to a variety of activities and local community amenities.

Quality monitoring systems, and methods of seeking feedback from people were in place to ensure the service continued to be safe and deliver good quality care.