Bridgeway Care Home

Updated 15 July 2022

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 Health and Social Care Act 2008.

As part of this inspection we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place. This was conducted so we can understand the preparedness of the service in preventing or managing an infection outbreak, and to identify good practice we can share with other services.

Inspection team

The inspection was undertaken by two inspectors and an Expert 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

Bridgeway Care home is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and/or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. Bridgeway Care Home is a care home with nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Registered Manager

This service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. 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.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

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 annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with four people that use the service and seven relatives. We spoke with 10 members of staff including the registered manager, clinical leads, care staff, domestic and kitchen staff.

We looked at a range of records including care plans and medicines records. We looked at health and safety documents, audits and policies and procedures.

Updated 15 July 2022

About the service

Bridgeway Care Home is a residential care home providing personal and nursing care to up to 29 people. The service provides support to adults aged between 18 and 65. The service is registered to provide support to adults with a physical disability and adults with a learning disability and or autistic spectrum disorder. At the time of our inspection there were 28 people using the service.

The care home is a large building set across two floors. It has an accessible lift, communal areas and a good-sized garden available to use.

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

Medicines were not always managed safely, although we did not find any harm as a result.

People were supported by staff that knew them well and there were enough staff to keep people safe. A relative said, “The same staff always work with my relative.” Another relative said, “They have the right skills.” People were protected well from the risk of the spread of infection and the home was clean and comfortable.

The registered manager and clinical leads kept people and their relatives involved and up to date. A relative said, “Staff ring you to tell you things.”

We found a positive culture amongst staff, and they told us they loved their jobs. Relatives were positive about the home and said, “It is the perfect place”, another said, “(My relative) loves the home, it is brilliant, and the staff are calm.”

We have made recommendations about audits and recruitment processes.

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.

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee autistic people and people with a learning disability the choices, dignity, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. Right support, right care, right culture is the statutory guidance which supports CQC to make assessments and judgements about services providing support to people with a learning disability and/or autistic people.

Based on our review of safe and well-led the service was able to demonstrate how they were meeting some of the underpinning principles of Right support, right care, right culture.

Care took place within a care home environment making it difficult to have different opportunities to maximise people’s choice, control and independence. However, at times people were supported with their own interests; for example, staff supported people who wanted to do their own shopping. Staff understood the importance of promoting people’s dignity and privacy was respected. Staff used different methods to make sure people could make their own choices, for example using pictorial aids and other communication aids.

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 18 August 2021).

At our last inspection we made recommendations about the incident recording process and audits. At this inspection we found that some improvements had been made in these areas.

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service and we inspected the key questions of safe and well-led only.

For those key questions not inspected, we used the ratings awarded at the last inspection to calculate the overall rating.

We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the Safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.

The overall rating for the service has changed from good to requires improvement based on the findings of this inspection.

Enforcement

We are mindful of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our regulatory function. This meant we took account of the exceptional circumstances arising as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic when considering what enforcement action was necessary and proportionate to keep people safe as a result of this inspection. We will continue to monitor the service and will take further action if needed.

We have identified a breach in relation to the safe management of medicines at this inspection.

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 from 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 continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.