Berwick Grange

The care home is a large purpose-built building with bedrooms and communal spaces across 3 separate units. Two of units were for people who required nursing care and were living with more advanced dementia.

Care plans and risk assessments were not always effective in outlining people's needs and how best to meet these. Staff told us that at times agency staff lacked understanding of people which increased their distress. Audits and oversight from the provider had been ineffective in monitoring and addressing concerns in the service. Where action was identified this was not always taken in a timely manner. A service development plan had recently been implemented and progress was being made to improve the environment and outcomes for people at the service.

Staff understood their responsibilities around safeguarding and documenting accidents and incidents. The reported accidents and incidents had not always been effectively managed by leaders in the service. The provider recognised these shortfalls and had been working with the local authority to address these.

Medicines were managed safely and in line with people's preferences.

The manager was working collaboratively with staff and other agencies to make the required improvements. Staff were knowledgeable and passionate about the people they supported and were keen to improve the service.

Staff had confidence in the changes being made and felt able to be involved. Families spoke highly of the care their relatives received from staff and welcomed the reintroduction of resident meetings.

People were not always supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff did not always support them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service did not support this practice.