22 July 2022
During a routine inspection
Branksome Park Care Centre is a purpose-built home in a residential area of Poole. It is registered to provide nursing care, treatment and rehabilitation for up to 59 people over the age of 18 some of whom were living with chronic and complex neurological conditions. The home is split over three floors which are accessible by stairs or a lift. There were 58 people receiving a service at the time of inspection.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People, their relatives and staff told us they felt safe living at Branksome Park Care Centre, there were enough staff to meet people’s needs. The home was busy, with a calm and welcoming atmosphere. People were protected from the risk of avoidable infection as infection prevention and control procedures were in place.
The registered manager and senior management team had made numerous improvements within the home since our last inspection. Governance systems within the home were operating effectively and had enabled them to identify further improvements such as with care planning and communication.
People received their medicines as prescribed. However, we identified some areas where information was required or could be strengthened. The registered manager and the clinical team took immediate action to rectify those areas. There was no impact to people identified.
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 had the necessary capacity assessments and legal processes in place to ensure their rights were fully respected.
Staff were trained well, understood their role, responsibilities and felt supported. Staff only worked within their scope of competence. Recruitment procedures were robust. People had access to enough food and drink. The home worked well with a variety of health and social care specialists and professionals. We were told the home was proactive and responsive where people’s medical needs were concerned.
Risk assessments and care plans were in place for people’s care and support. However, records had been transferred to a new electronic system and were not always person centred or consistent. The home had recognised this and while the transfer took place, the registered manager had mitigated the risks to people by allocating staff to specific people and areas of the home and running another electronic daily planner which held up to date information about people’s needs. Increased checks of care and compliance had been actioned and the registered manager and clinical lead were continuously monitoring. There were clear, realistic timescales in place for completion.
People had access to a wide variety of activities and opportunities. People were encouraged and supported with independence. People and their relatives told us staff treated them with dignity and respect.
We received positive feedback about the management of Branksome Park Care Centre. The home was open in their approach to learning and driving improvements.
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 outstanding (published 6 December 2018).
Why we inspected
This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.
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.