CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Brimley
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Staff understood people's individual risks and there were systems for safeguarding, staffing, medicines, emergencies and equipment checks. Inspectors found a gap in recording one person's fluid intake, but action was taken during the inspection.
- Effective?
- Good
- People's needs were assessed and reviewed, and staff had suitable training and support. The home worked closely with health professionals and supported people with nutrition, healthcare and consent.
- Caring?
- Outstanding
- Staff provided exceptionally individualised and compassionate care. They supported communication, relationships, dignity, independence and people's rights, including challenging decisions when they believed a person's needs could still be met at the home.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care plans reflected people's routines, preferences, communication and changing needs. People were supported with activities, community links and end of life care, although relatives had not been involved in formal care plan reviews.
- Well-led?
- Good
- The management team was visible, open and involved in the home. Audits and improvement plans were in place, but the quality checks had not identified the gap in care planning and recording before the inspection.
What inspectors found, August 2019
Rated Good overall, with Outstanding care; inspectors found highly person-centred support and minor gaps in records and care plan reviews.
This was an unannounced inspection over two days. One inspector spoke with people, relatives, staff and visiting professionals. They observed care and checked care plans, medicines, staff records and the home's quality checks.
The home was rated Good for Safe, Effective, Responsive and Well-led. It was rated Outstanding for Caring. Inspectors found staff knew people very well, supported choice and independence, and worked effectively with health professionals.
There were some minor shortfalls. Recent advice about one person's fluid intake had not been added to their care plan, and records did not accurately show their intake. The manager acted during the inspection and updated the care plan. A new bathroom also did not initially have soap, but this was corrected during the visit.
Exceptionally caring support
Staff showed a strong commitment to people's wellbeing and challenged decisions when they believed someone could continue to have a good quality of life at the home.
“The management team and staff genuinely cared for the people they were supporting.” from the report
Choice and independence
People were supported to make choices, communicate their views and build everyday living skills. The home used personalised communication tools and activities to help people take part.
“The outcomes for people using the service reflected the principles and values of Registering the Right Support by promoting choice and control, independence and inclusion.” from the report
Skilled staff
Staff received induction, training, supervision and additional support for people's changing or complex needs.
“Staff were competent, knowledgeable and skilled, and carried out their roles effectively.” from the report
Good partnership working
The home worked with families, GPs, therapists and other professionals to respond to changes in people's health and support needs.
“Staff worked closely with other agencies to provide effective support to people.” from the report
Safe medicines systems
Medicines were securely stored, administered by trained staff and regularly checked. Records also included people's preferences for taking medicines.
“There were effective systems to ensure medicines were ordered, stored, administered and monitored safely.” from the report
Fluid records and care planning
needs fixingAdvice about one person's recommended fluid intake had not been added to their care plan, and the recorded intake appeared much lower than recommended. The manager reviewed the person's health and corrected the care plan during the inspection.
“Recent guidance from a health professional about one person's fluid intake, had not yet been incorporated into their care plan.” from the report
Relatives' involvement in reviews
minorRelatives were kept informed and consulted about support, but had not taken part in formal care plan reviews. The manager planned to explore how this could be improved.
“They had not been involved in formal care plan reviews however.” from the report
- 01How do you now check that health professionals' advice, especially about fluid intake, is added promptly to care plans?
- 02How are care records and fluid charts checked for accuracy, and what happens if a record does not match what staff observe?
- 03How can relatives take part in formal care plan reviews?
- 04What environmental improvements have been completed since the inspection, including the planned garden and new furniture?
- 05How do you maintain a consistent staff team, and when are agency staff used?
This inspection covered all five CQC questions and both the accommodation and care provided; it was a planned inspection based on the previous rating, and the visit was unannounced. This explanation was written from the published report of 2 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.
Every inspection of Brimley
Each visit the CQC has published, newest first, back to the day the home was registered.
- August 2019Goodcurrent ratingSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: OutstandingResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- May 2018
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 25 May 2018.
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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17 live-in carers within about an hour of Devon
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 £1,020 to £1,270 a week. 15 can care for a couple. 13 years' experience on average.
“She is such a warm and gentle person while being professional and competent at the same time.”
“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.”
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.