CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Brook House Residential Home
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors were assured that infection prevention and control measures were in place, including cleaning, PPE, testing, social distancing and outbreak management. The provider also described measures to manage COVID-19-related staffing pressures.
- 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 2022
Brook House Residential Home was inspected but not rated; inspectors found good infection control and visiting arrangements.
This was an announced, targeted inspection on 23 February 2022. It focused on infection prevention and control, visiting arrangements and whether COVID-19 staffing pressures affected care.
Inspectors found the home clean and uncluttered. High-touch areas were cleaned more often. They were assured that PPE, testing, social distancing, admissions and infection outbreak arrangements were being managed safely.
Visitors were allowed in line with guidance, with a booking system to help manage risks. People and staff spoke positively about the home. The service was inspected but not rated, so this report does not give an overall quality rating.
Clean environment
The home appeared clean and uncluttered, with regular cleaning and extra cleaning of high-touch areas to reduce infection risks.
“The home appeared clean and uncluttered, rooms were being regularly cleaned and an increased cleaning schedule was in place for high touch areas” from the report
Infection control
Inspectors were assured that the home was using protective equipment safely, arranging testing and keeping its infection control policy up to date.
“We were assured that the provider was using PPE effectively and safely.” from the report
Family contact
Visitors were allowed in line with guidance. People were also supported to keep in touch with loved ones by telephone and video calls.
“The home was allowing visitors in line with guidance and people were also supported to maintain regular contact with loved ones through video calls and telephone calls.” from the report
Positive views
People and staff spoke positively about the home and its management, and reported no concerns.
“Staff and people spoke positively about the service and management and had no concerns.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How are staffing pressures affecting people living in the home now?
- 02How does the current visitor booking system work, and are there any limits on visits?
- 03How often are high-touch areas cleaned, and how is this checked?
- 04How are residents and staff currently tested for COVID-19, and what happens if there is an outbreak?
- 05How do you make sure PPE is used safely and that the infection control policy remains up to date?
This was a targeted inspection of infection prevention and control, visiting arrangements and COVID-19-related staffing pressures; it was not a full inspection of all five questions and the service was not rated. This explanation was written from the published report of 11 March 2022 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, October 2019
Brook House Residential Home is Rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and person-centred care, with improvements since the previous inspection.
This was an unannounced inspection over 25 and 26 September 2019. One inspector spoke with five people using the home, three staff members and the manager and provider. They also observed care and reviewed care, medicines, recruitment and quality records.
The home was rated Good in all five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Inspectors found that people felt safe, staff were kind and respectful, medicines were managed safely, and care was planned around people's needs and choices.
The previous rating was Requires Improvement, published in November 2018, with one breach about medicines. Inspectors found enough improvement had been made, and the home was no longer in breach of regulations.
Medicines improved
Medicines were managed safely at this inspection. Staff had competency checks, guidance for as-needed medicines and stronger audits.
“Medicines were managed safely. Staff had competency assessments in place and medicines were administered, stored and disposed of safely.” from the report
Kind and respectful staff
People described staff as kind and attentive. Inspectors also saw respectful and compassionate care.
“People were supported by caring and respectful staff. People told us staff were kind and attentive and our observations confirmed this.” from the report
Personalised support
Care records reflected people's individual needs, interests and behaviour support strategies. People were involved in reviews and supported to make choices.
“Care files contained individualised documents reflecting each person's assessment of needs.” from the report
Good oversight
The manager and provider used audits and checks to monitor care and safety. The service acted on audit findings and sought views from people, families and staff.
“The provider had systems to ensure the quality of service was regularly assessed and monitored.” from the report
Home is larger than current guidance
minorThe home supported nine people and was registered for ten. Inspectors noted that it was larger than current best practice guidance, although they said the design and setting reduced the negative impact.
“The service was a large home, bigger than most domestic style properties.” from the report
Some end of life planning was unfinished
minorSome people's end of life wishes had been recorded, but discussions about advance care planning were still planned for other people.
“There were plans in place for discussions to take place around advanced care planning with other people.” from the report
- 01How will you make sure advance care planning discussions take place with everyone who needs them?
- 02How do you keep guidance and audits for as-needed medicines up to date?
- 03How does the size of the home affect people's choice, independence and daily life?
- 04How are people's risk assessments reviewed when they choose to take positive risks?
- 05How are people and their families involved in reviewing care plans and expressing their views?
This was an unannounced planned inspection covering all five key questions, including the care provided and the premises. This explanation was written from the published report of 26 October 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 Brook House Residential Home
2 rated inspections over a year: the service has improved, from Requires improvement to Good.
- March 2022Inspected but not ratedcurrent ratingSafe: Inspected but not rated
Read what inspectors found at Brook House Residential Home →
- October 2019Goodup from Requires improvementSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
Read what inspectors found at Brook House Residential Home →
- November 2018Requires improvementSafe: Requires improvementEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Requires improvement
- October 2017
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 23 October 2017.
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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85 live-in carers within about an hour of Lancashire
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. 78 can care for a couple. 11 years' experience on average.
“She understands the needs of an elderly person in the early stages of dementia and has treated my mother with great kindness and skill.”
“Thanks to Tracy, Dad was always immaculately dressed and clean, his meals were all home cooked and nutritionally well balanced and his home was always kept really clean and tidy.”
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.