Brightcare

Brightcare provides accommodation and personal care for up to six people with a learning disability. At the time of the inspection, there were five people living at Brightcare and the sixth bedroom was being used as a dining room. The service is a chalet bungalow with all accommodation for people provided on the ground floor. It is set in a residential area of St Marys Bay village. Each person has a single room and there is a communal bathroom, shower room, kitchen, dining room and lounge. There is a rear enclosed garden at the back of the bungalow with level access. There is parking available at the service as well as on street parking.

The service has a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are 'registered persons'. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People received their medicines safely and when they should. Risks were assessed and staff took steps to keep people safe whilst encouraging their independence wherever possible.

People were involved in the planning of their care and support where possible. Care plans contained information about people's wishes and preferences. They showed people's skills in relation to tasks and what support they required from staff, in order that their independence was maintained. People had reviews of their care and support where they and/or their representatives were able to discuss any concerns or aspirations.

People were encouraged and supported to make their own decisions and choices and staff respected these. Staff had received training in the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005. The MCA provides the legal framework to assess people's capacity to make certain decisions, at a certain time. When people are assessed as not having the capacity to make a decision, a best interest decision is made involving people who know the person well and other professionals, where relevant. The registered manager understood this process.

People were protected by safe recruitment procedures. New staff underwent an induction programme, which included shadowing experienced staff, until staff were competent to work on their own. Staff received training relevant to their role. Staff had opportunities for one to one meetings and team meetings, to enable them to carry out their duties effectively. The majority of staff had gained qualifications in health and social care. People had their needs met by sufficient numbers of staff and staff rotas were based on people's needs.

People were relaxed in staff's company and staff listened and acted on what they said or gestures and body language. People were treated with dignity and respect and their privacy was respected. Staff were kind and patient in their approach, but also used good humour. Staff had built up relationships with people and were familiar with their life stories and preferences.

People had a varied diet and could be involved in planning the menus. Staff supported people's special dietary needs. People had a programme of leisure activities and went out and about as they wished.

People were supported to maintain good health and attend appointments and check-ups. Appropriate referrals were made to health professionals when required. People did not have any concerns, but felt comfortable in raising issues. Their feedback was gained both informally and formally. The registered manager had an open door policy and took action to address any concerns or issues straightaway to help ensure the service ran smoothly. There were audits and checkes to ensure the service ran effectively. .

The five questions we ask about services and what we found