CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Briarlea Care Home
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors were assured that the home had measures to prevent and manage infection. These included safe use of PPE, testing, social distancing, cleaning and an up-to-date infection control policy.
- Effective?
- Good
- Does the care work? Training, consent, food and drink, working with GPs and nurses.
- Caring?
- Good
- Are people treated with kindness and dignity?
- Responsive?
- Good
- Is care built around the person? Care plans, activities, complaints.
- Well-led?
- Good
- Is the home run well? The manager, the culture, how problems get found and fixed.
What inspectors found, March 2021
Inspected but not rated; inspectors were assured about infection control and found several ways the home supported safe visiting and family contact.
The CQC carried out an announced, targeted inspection on 10 March 2021. It looked at infection prevention and control during the coronavirus pandemic.
Inspectors were assured that the home used personal protective equipment safely, supported testing, followed social distancing and shielding rules, and had suitable cleaning and hygiene arrangements.
The home used a visiting pod, appointments, visiting bubbles and different ways for families to stay in touch. Staff numbers had also been increased to support cleaning. The service was inspected but not rated, so this report does not give an overall quality rating.
Infection control
The home checked temperatures, provided PPE and used social distancing and separate communal areas to reduce infection risks.
“All staff and visitors to the service had their temperature taken on arrival and were provided with Personal Protective Equipment to wear.” from the report
Safer visiting
A visiting pod and an appointment system helped families visit in a controlled way.
“A visiting pod was in place, which was accessible through the garden and could only be used through an appointment system.” from the report
Family contact
Families were supported to keep in touch through window visits, video calls and phone calls, with information about visiting arrangements.
“Families had been supported to keep in touch with their loved ones in a variety of ways including window visits, video and phone calls.” from the report
Support from health professionals
The home had positive relationships with local GPs and other healthcare professionals who provided extra support when needed.
“Positive relationships were in place with local GPs and healthcare professionals who provided additional support and guidance where required.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How are visits organised now, and is a visiting pod or another protected visiting arrangement still available?
- 02How do you currently manage PPE, testing and infection outbreaks?
- 03How are residents supported to use communal areas safely if infection risks increase?
- 04How do you help residents keep in touch with their families when in-person visits are restricted?
- 05What are the home's current overall and key question ratings?
This was a targeted inspection of infection prevention and control during the coronavirus pandemic; the service was inspected but not rated and no other quality ratings were given in this report. This explanation was written from the published report of 23 March 2021 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, June 2019
Briarlea Care Home was rated Good in all five areas, with safe, kind and personalised care found during the inspection.
The inspection was unannounced and took place on 28 May 2019. One inspector spoke with people living at the home, relatives, staff and a visiting health professional. They also observed care and checked care records, medicines records, complaints, incidents and safety checks.
Inspectors found enough staff, safe medicines arrangements and systems to manage risks. Staff were trained, understood people's needs and supported them to make choices. People were treated with kindness and respect, and their care plans reflected their preferences, histories and goals.
The home was rated Good overall and Good in Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. This was the same overall rating as the previous inspection, published on 16 December 2016.
Positive relationships
People described strong relationships with each other and with staff. Relatives were also positive about how the home was managed.
“People were very positive about their life at the home, and the close bonds they had developed with each other and the staff who supported them.” from the report
Safe medicines
Inspectors found medicines systems were organised and that people received medicines as prescribed.
“Medicines systems were organised, and people were receiving their medicines when they should.” from the report
Good mealtimes
People were supported to eat and drink enough, with their preferences and dietary needs considered. Mealtimes were social and unhurried.
“People's mealtimes were sociable events and were not rushed.” from the report
Personalised care
People and relatives were involved in planning and reviewing care. Plans included personal histories, preferences and goals.
“People's care plans reflected their life histories and care preferences and goals and provided staff with the information they needed to support people in the ways they preferred.” from the report
Learning and improvement
The home had systems to learn from incidents, complaints and feedback. The manager also checked the quality of care and safety.
“The registered manager reviewed any feedback and incidents and developed action plans, so any learning would be taken from them and the home would continue to improve.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How many staff are usually on duty for my relative's needs, and how quickly do they respond to call bells?
- 02How will you assess and regularly review my relative's risks, preferences and care goals?
- 03How do you record and check that medicines are given at the right time and as prescribed?
- 04What activities would be available to match my relative's interests, communication needs and abilities?
- 05How would my family be involved in decisions about care, including decisions at the end of life?
This was an unannounced planned inspection covering all five CQC questions, the overall quality of the service and the care and premises provided. This explanation was written from the published report of 11 June 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.
Every inspection of Briarlea Care Home
3 rated inspections over 3 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- March 2021Inspected but not ratedcurrent ratingSafe: Inspected but not rated
- June 2019Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- December 2016Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- December 2015GoodSafe: GoodEffective: Requires improvementCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- July 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- July 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- August 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- October 2011
Report published without a new overall rating.
- January 2011
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 18 January 2011.
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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At least 100 live-in carers within about an hour of Worcestershire
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 £1,260 a week. 85 can care for a couple. 9 years' experience on average.
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