- SERVICE PROVIDER
Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust
This is an organisation that runs the health and social care services we inspect
Report from 27 February 2025 assessment
Contents
Ratings - Forensic inpatient or secure wards
Our view of the service
An assessment has been undertaken of a specialist service which is used by autistic people or people with a learning disability. We assessed the service against ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ guidance to make judgements about whether the provider guaranteed people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. Brooklands is a specialised hospital site which provides inpatient care to adults and children with a learning disability or autism. The hospital is part of Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust. There are 4 forensic wards based at Brooklands; Janet Shaw Clinic, a medium secure unit for adult men; Eden ward, a low secure ward for adult women; Malvern ward, a low secure ward for adult men, and Onyx unit, a low secure ward consisting of 7 individual apartments for men with a diagnosis of autism. Brooklands forensic wards were last rated as inadequate in September 2023. A warning notice was issued following that inspection. This assessment has been completed following the Care Quality Commission (CQC) new approach to assessment; Single Assessment Framework (SAF). We carried out a mix of onsite and offsite assessment activity between 10 September 2024 and 4 October 2024. This was an unannounced assessment, which means the provider was not told we were coming. We looked at all quality statements across the 5 key questions of safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led. At this assessment we saw caring staff taking a person centred approach, staffing was safe and effective, use of restrictive interventions reduced, and people led active lives. Teams provided a range of care and treatment suitable for the people in the service and in line with best practice and national guidance. However, we identified concerns in relation to the safety of the environment, management of risks and quality of the food provided.
People's experience of this service
People experienced the right support as the model of care and setting maximised people’s choice, control and independence. People received the right care as care was person-centred and promoted people’s dignity, privacy and human rights. People experienced the right culture as the ethos, values, attitudes and behaviours of leaders and care staff ensured people using services led confident, inclusive and empowered lives. We spoke with 15 people using the service and 4 carers. Most people spoke positively about the service and the staff. Some of the people we spoke with were able to describe their recovery journey and were proud of what they achieved. Everyone we spoke with raised concerns about the quality, quantity and variety of food on offer, with some people telling us they wanted healthier, home cooked options. We received mix feedback in relation to carers involvement with their loved one’s care. Three quarters of carer’s we spoke with told us they were not involved and that communication from the service was poor. However, we also saw examples of carers engagement initiatives and heard about the carer’s forum.