CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Brook Lane Rest Home
Rated Outstanding: inspectors found the home performing exceptionally well.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors were assured that the home was preventing infections, using PPE safely, providing access to testing, and keeping its infection prevention and control policy up to date.
- Effective?
- Good
- Does the care work? Training, consent, food and drink, working with GPs and nurses.
- Caring?
- Outstanding
- Are people treated with kindness and dignity?
- Responsive?
- Good
- Is care built around the person? Care plans, activities, complaints.
- Well-led?
- Outstanding
- Is the home run well? The manager, the culture, how problems get found and fixed.
What inspectors found, December 2020
Inspected but not rated; inspectors found strong infection prevention and control measures.
The inspection took place on 23 November 2020. It was an announced thematic review focused on infection prevention and control during the coronavirus pandemic.
Inspectors were assured that the home was using personal protective equipment safely, managing visits, testing people and staff, and following shielding and social distancing rules.
They also found several practical measures to reduce infection risks. These included visitor coats, cleaning checks using UV light and electronic records, and ways to help people living with dementia take part in testing and hand hygiene.
The home was inspected but not rated. This means the visit did not give an overall quality rating or a rated score for the five questions.
Protection for visitors and staff
The home used additional disposable coats when people living with dementia might not be able to follow distancing guidance or might make physical contact. Staff also used tabards while giving medicines.
“These provided further protection when there was a risk of a person living with dementia being unable to follow social distancing guidance” from the report
Support with testing
Management planned staff rotas around COVID-19 testing. A management team member also developed techniques to help everyone living at the home take part in testing.
“Using their skills and knowledge of people's needs and preferences, they had established techniques to enable all people living at the service to participate” from the report
Cleaning checks
The housekeeping team used UV light to find frequently touched areas. Electronic tags recorded cleaning tasks and reduced the handling of paper records.
“The housekeeping team used UV light to identify areas that were frequently touched by people” from the report
Hand hygiene support
Staff used sanitary wipes as a less intrusive way to help people maintain hand hygiene, which inspectors said was particularly effective for people living with dementia.
“Staff used sanitary wipes as a less intrusive means of supporting people to maintain good hand hygiene.” from the report
Assurance on infection control
Inspectors were assured that the home had arrangements covering visitors, admissions, PPE, testing, cleaning, outbreaks and its infection control policy.
“We were assured that the provider was using PPE effectively and safely.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01What is the home's current full CQC rating, given that this inspection was not rated?
- 02How are visitors currently protected from catching or spreading infections?
- 03How does the home support people living with dementia to take part in testing and maintain hand hygiene?
- 04Are electronic cleaning records and checks of frequently touched areas still being used?
- 05How are staff testing and rotas organised now?
This was an announced thematic review of infection prevention and control during the coronavirus pandemic, not a full inspection of all five quality questions. This explanation was written from the published report of 24 December 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.
What inspectors found, December 2018
Rated Outstanding; inspectors found exceptionally caring, personalised support and very strong leadership.
This was an unannounced, comprehensive inspection over three days in October 2018. Inspectors met everyone living in the home, spoke in detail with 13 people, relatives, staff and a healthcare professional, and observed care. They also checked the building, care plans, medicines records and quality monitoring.
The home was rated Outstanding overall. It was rated Good for safe, effective and responsive care, and Outstanding for caring and well-led. Inspectors found that people were safe, supported by trained staff, involved in decisions and given personalised care.
The report highlights strong relationships between people, staff and managers. It also describes a warm atmosphere, good support for people living with dementia, involvement of families, and detailed monitoring systems. The previous inspection in February 2016 also rated the service Outstanding.
Kind and personal care
Staff knew people well and used their history, interests and preferences to support them. Inspectors saw staff help people who became distressed until they were settled again.
“We observed staff providing highly sensitive person-centred engagement, particularly for people living with dementia.” from the report
Strong relationships
The home supported close relationships between residents, staff and families. Relatives could visit freely and could stay overnight when a loved one was unwell or nearing the end of life.
“The service recognised the importance of continued links with the 'outside world' promoting people's right to continue to be supported by their family carers if they wished.” from the report
Effective leadership
Managers were visible and worked alongside people and staff. Their values were reflected in daily practice, including giving people choices and involving them in recruitment.
“There was a strong management structure which provided clear lines of responsibility and accountability.” from the report
Learning and improvement
The home used audits, meetings, surveys and feedback to identify improvements. Inspectors noted changes made after relatives and residents asked for new staff to be introduced on their first day.
“Quality assurance systems drove improvement and raised standards of care.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How will you adapt communication for my relative if they cannot express themselves verbally?
- 02How do you record and review my relative's choices, preferences and daily care?
- 03How will you monitor my relative's food and fluid intake if they are at risk of dehydration or weight loss?
- 04How do you involve families in decisions about end of life care and visiting arrangements?
- 05How are medicines, falls, accidents and other risks reviewed and followed up?
This was an unannounced comprehensive inspection covering all five CQC questions, the premises, care provided, records and quality monitoring. This explanation was written from the published report of 6 December 2018 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 Lane Rest Home
2 rated inspections over 3 years: the service has held its Outstanding rating throughout.
- December 2020Inspected but not ratedcurrent ratingSafe: Inspected but not rated
- December 2018Outstandingstayed OutstandingSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: OutstandingResponsive: GoodWell-led: Outstanding
- April 2016OutstandingSafe: GoodEffective: OutstandingCaring: OutstandingResponsive: GoodWell-led: Outstanding
- March 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- March 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- February 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- November 2010
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 19 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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26 live-in carers within about an hour of Hampshire
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 £1,260 a week. 23 can care for a couple. 14 years' experience on average.
“I cannot recommend Prisca highly enough, she is one in a million.”
“He stayed with her throughout the pandemic, refusing to visit his own family, who lived nearby, to reduce the risk of infection.”
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.