The Briars Residential Care Home

Updated 4 January 2019

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 inspection took place on 8 November 2018 and was unannounced, and was completed by one inspector. We reviewed the information we held about the service including safeguarding alerts and statutory notifications, which related to the service. A notification is information about important events, which the provider is required to send us by law. The provider had completed a Provider Information Return. This is information we require providers to send us at least once annually to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.

During the inspection, we spoke with three people using the service and one relative. We spoke with the team leader and four care staff including the chef. We observed people taking part in activities, having lunch and throughout the day. We observed medicines being administered.

We reviewed two people’s care records, medication administration records (MAR) and a selection of documents about how the service was managed. These included, staff recruitment files, induction, and training schedules.

We also looked at the service’s arrangements for the management of medicines, complaints and compliments information, safeguarding alerts and quality monitoring and audit information.

Updated 4 January 2019

The Briars is a ‘care home’. People in care homes received accommodation and nursing or personal cars 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 Briars accommodates up to 17 people in one adapted building. At the time of our inspection there were 17 people living in the home.

At the last inspection, the service was rated good. At this inspection, we found the evidence continued to support the rating of good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serous risk or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

There was a registered manager in place. 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.

People were safe because staff supported them to understand how to keep safe and staff knew how to manage risk effectively. There were sufficient numbers of care staff on shift with the correct skills and knowledge to keep people safe.

The administration of people’s medicines was safe. Staff had been trained in the administration of medicines and had up to date policies and procedures to follow. Their competency was checked regularly.

People were supported with maintaining a balanced diet and the people who used the service chose their meals these were provided in line with their preferences.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible.

Staff had good relationships with people who used the service and were attentive to their needs. People’s privacy and dignity was respected at all times. People and their relatives were involved in making decisions about their care and support.

Care plans were individual and contained information about how people preferred to communicate and their ability to make decisions.

People were encouraged to take part in activities that they enjoyed, and were supported to keep in contact with family members. When needed, they were supported to see health professionals and referrals were put through to ensure they had the appropriate care and treatment.

Relatives and staff were complimentary about the management of the service. Staff understood their roles and responsibilities in providing safe and good quality care to the people who used the service.