CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Braemar House
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
What inspectors found, March 2020
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and person-centred care, with only minor areas to keep under review.
Inspectors visited on 21 February 2020. They spoke with five people, five staff members, four professionals and two relatives. They observed care, looked around the home and checked care, medicines, recruitment and management records.
The home was rated Good in all five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. People appeared happy and staff knew their needs, preferences and communication styles. Inspectors found enough trained staff, safe medicines practice, personalised care and good support with health, activities and independence.
This was the first inspection since the new provider registered the service. The previous rating was also Good, but it was from before the provider changed. Inspectors noted that the home was larger than current best practice guidance suggests, although they found that its design and location reduced the possible negative impact.
Kind, homely atmosphere
People appeared happy and inspectors saw relaxed, caring interactions between people and staff.
“People were happy living in the service, the atmosphere was homely and jolly.” from the report
Personalised support
Staff knew people's preferences and adapted support to individual routines, choices and communication needs.
“Care plans were highly personalised, capturing people's preferences and how they wanted their support to be provided.” from the report
Choice and independence
People were supported to make daily choices, learn practical skills, take part in activities and become more independent.
“People had choice and control in their day and took a lead in what they did, how often, and where.” from the report
Strong quality checks
The provider checked areas including care records, medicines, staffing, training, fire safety and the environment.
“Audit processes were robust. Quality checks were completed on care records, medicines, the environment and fire safety and staff levels, support and training.” from the report
Window safety
needs fixingInspectors found one window was not restricted in line with best practice guidance. The provider arranged for a restrictor to be fitted within an hour.
“We identified where a window was not restricted in line with best practise guidance.” from the report
End of life training
minorNo one needed end of life care during the inspection. The provider and registered manager said staff needed more detailed training in this area.
“The provider and registered manager told us they wanted staff to have more in depth training in this area.” from the report
Larger than current guidance
minorThe home supports 12 people and is larger than current best practice guidance for this type of service. Inspectors said the building design and setting reduced the negative impact.
“The service was a large home, bigger than most domestic style properties.” from the report
- 01What has been done to check that all windows and other environmental safety features meet current guidance?
- 02What further end of life care training will staff receive, and when?
- 03How will my relative be involved in decisions about their daily routine, activities and care?
- 04How do you make sure staffing levels increase when someone's behaviour or support needs change?
- 05How will you continue to monitor quality now that the new provider has completed its first inspection?
This was a planned inspection of the whole care home and all five CQC questions, and it was the first inspection since the new provider registered the service. This explanation was written from the published report of 27 March 2020 by an AI system and checked against the report text: every quoted line appears in the report. It is a guide to the report, not a substitute for it. Read the full report on cqc.org.uk.
Every inspection of Braemar House
Each visit the CQC has published, newest first, back to the day the home was registered.
- March 2020Goodcurrent ratingSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- February 2019
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 21 February 2019.
Ratings and report dates from the Care Quality Commission, Open Government Licence v3.0. A home can also be visited without a new rating being published, so the timeline shows published inspections.
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21 live-in carers within about an hour of Torbay
These are self-employed carers on PrimeCarers, the introductory agency that runs this directory. Each has a profile with their own rates and reviews from families, and you choose who to talk to.
Most charge £980 to £1,400 a week. 17 can care for a couple. 12 years' experience on average.
“She looked after my mum, who can be incredibly challenging, so well and so gently, and we always felt confident that my mum was getting the best care available.”
“She was not phased by anything, she was adaptable, kind & gave us complete confidence to go away & not worry about a thing!”
Every carer has had an enhanced DBS check in the last 18 months, ID and right-to-work checks and an online interview. Their skills and training are for you to check with them. Carers set their own rates, and who is free changes week to week.