CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Brampton Lodge
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- People told inspectors they felt safe. Risk assessments, staffing, recruitment, medicines, infection control and learning from accidents were found to be managed safely.
- Effective?
- Good
- People received care based on assessed needs. Staff had relevant training, people were supported with food and healthcare, and their choices and legal rights were respected.
- Caring?
- Good
- Staff were kind, patient and respectful. People were involved in everyday decisions and staff supported their privacy, dignity and independence.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care plans were detailed, accurate and regularly updated. People were offered activities, choices and support that reflected their interests and needs, and complaints were investigated.
- Well-led?
- Good
- The home had effective audits, meetings and ways to gather people's views. However, there was no registered manager, and some new management systems had not been fully embedded.
What inspectors found, August 2019
Rated Good; inspectors found kind, safe and well-organised care, but previous Outstanding ratings were not sustained and there was no registered manager.
This was a comprehensive inspection carried out on 10 and 11 July 2019. One inspector visited, reviewed five care plans, three staff files and management records, and spoke with people, a relative, staff and the deputy manager.
The home was rated Good in all five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Inspectors found people were safe, treated with kindness and dignity, involved in decisions, and supported with their health, medicines, food and activities.
The home had previously been rated Outstanding overall. Caring, Responsive and Well-led had each been Outstanding at the last inspection, but the home could not show that this standard had been sustained. There was also no registered manager in post when inspectors visited.
Kind and respectful staff
People described staff as kind and patient. Inspectors observed friendly interactions, choices being offered and privacy being respected.
“People were supported and treated with dignity and respect; and involved as partners in their care.” from the report
Personalised care
Care plans gave staff clear guidance about people's mobility, communication, emotional wellbeing and health needs. They were reviewed when people's needs changed.
“Individual care plans were detailed, setting out guidance to staff on how to support people in the way they wanted.” from the report
Safe medicines and staffing
Medicines records were complete and staff had training and competency checks. Staffing was based on individual needs, with low staff turnover and safe recruitment.
“Full and complete medicines administration records were kept. These evidenced that medicines were given as prescribed.” from the report
Good access to food and healthcare
People had food choices, including support for special diets, and were helped to stay healthy and hydrated. Staff worked with health professionals when needed.
“People were provided with food and drink that enabled them to maintain a healthy diet and stay hydrated.” from the report
Activities and people's involvement
People could join group or one-to-one activities and continue interests such as celebrations and community activities. Their views had led to changes, including menu changes.
“People were enabled to carry on with things they used to enjoy such as marking birthdays.” from the report
No registered manager
needs fixingThe registered manager had left, and a replacement manager had also left shortly before the inspection. The deputy manager was running the home while further management support was being arranged.
“There was no registered manager in post at the time of this inspection.” from the report
New systems not fully established
needs fixingA manager had started changing the audit systems, but these changes were not fully embedded before the manager left. The provider and deputy manager needed to decide which systems to continue using.
“These new systems had not been fully embedded into practice before the manager left.” from the report
Previous Outstanding ratings not sustained
minorThe home had previously been rated Outstanding overall. Inspectors said it could not evidence that the Outstanding standard had been maintained in Caring, Responsive and Well-led.
“The service had not been able to evidence how the rating of Outstanding had been sustained since the last inspection.” from the report
- 01Who is currently responsible for the home, and when is a registered manager expected to be in post?
- 02What management support is now in place for the deputy manager?
- 03Which audit and quality-checking systems are currently being used following the previous manager's departure?
- 04How are care plans reviewed when a person's needs or wishes change?
- 05How are people's views about menus, activities and care collected and acted on?
This was a comprehensive inspection covering both the premises and care provided, with all five CQC questions rated. This explanation was written from the published report of 30 August 2019 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.
What inspectors found, January 2017
Brampton Lodge was rated Outstanding overall; inspectors found safe, effective care with especially caring, responsive and well-led services.
This was an unannounced inspection on 27 and 28 October 2016. One inspector spoke with people, relatives, staff and visiting professionals. They observed care, inspected the home and checked care plans, medicines, staff records, risk assessments and quality checks.
Inspectors found the home clean, safe and properly staffed. Medicines were managed well. Staff were trained and supported, people's health was monitored, and meals were nutritious. People received kind care that respected their dignity and choices.
Inspectors rated caring, responsive and well-led Outstanding. They found a warm, family atmosphere, personalised care, a wide range of activities and strong quality checks. The overall rating of Outstanding means the inspection found exceptionally high standards across the service, although Safe and Effective were rated Good.
Kind and respectful care
Inspectors saw warm and considerate interactions. People were treated with dignity, encouraged to remain independent and supported in a family atmosphere.
“Staff delivered care with consideration and kindness in a family atmosphere.” from the report
End-of-life support
Families and staff praised the support given at the end of people's lives. Staff received training and were willing to provide company and comfort when needed.
“Care at end of life was first class; not just for Mum but us as a family.” from the report
Personalised support
Staff knew people's routines, preferences and life histories. The provider also supplied specialist equipment and transport to support individual needs and independence.
“Staff know me inside out. Everything I need is always laid out for me in the way I like it; no question” from the report
Activities and social life
People could choose from regular activities, outings, entertainers and one-to-one support. Inspectors saw people enjoying a lively quiz with relatives.
“There was a wide range of stimulating activities available, which people enjoyed and were pitched at the right level for people.” from the report
Clean and safe home
The home was exceptionally clean and well maintained. Inspectors found suitable staffing, risk controls, fire arrangements and medicines systems.
“The service was exceptionally clean throughout. Bathrooms and toilets were spotless and every area we visited had been cleaned to a very high standard.” from the report
Strong management checks
The provider and registered manager carried out regular checks of care, medicines, cleaning and the environment. They acted promptly when shortfalls were found.
“The provider and registered manager operated robust quality assurance systems which helped them identify any shortfalls and remedy them quickly.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How many staff are usually on duty now, and how do you increase staffing if people's needs change?
- 02How are people's individual routines, preferences and cultural needs recorded and kept up to date?
- 03What activities, outings and one-to-one support are currently available, including at weekends?
- 04How do you support people and families at the end of life, and what training do staff receive for this?
- 05How are medicines, infection control and people's changing risks checked now?
This was an unannounced inspection covering all five key questions and the overall quality and safety of the service. This explanation was written from the published report of 11 January 2017 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 Brampton Lodge
2 rated inspections over 3 years: the service has slipped, from Outstanding to Good.
- August 2019Goodcurrent ratingdown from OutstandingSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- January 2017OutstandingSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: OutstandingResponsive: OutstandingWell-led: Outstanding
- June 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- June 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- December 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- November 2010
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 22 November 2010.
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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