Briarcroft Care Home

Following our site visit, we contacted the fire service with our concerns. They inspected the premises and made 7 recommendations the provider should address to ensure compliance with fire safety requirements. The provider assured us they would take action to address fire safety concerns and the maintenance issues identified.

Whilst there was no evidence people had been harmed, people were at potential risk of harm. This was because records didn't always evidence care being provided in line with individual care plans, risk assessments had not always been completed, and staff had not completed training specific to people's needs.

There were a range of risk assessments in place, and they were regularly reviewed. Some individual risks were very well managed. For example, staff were skilled at managing risks around people's behaviours, particularly when people were experiencing significant distress and agitation. One visiting health professional told us they were supporting a person who had 3 previous placements terminated due to their behaviours. They said, "Briarcroft have worked so hard, with the support of the [health professionals] Team, on finding strategies that work for [person's name]. Systems and processes to protect people from abuse were in place and being operated effectively. Staff and people's relatives told us they felt comfortable raising concerns. Staff were recruited safely, and there were enough staff to meet people's needs. People received their medicines safely and there were good medicines management systems in place. Incidents and accidents were analysed on a regular basis and any themes or patterns identified.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

The culture of the service was open and inclusive, and staff worked with other professionals to ensure people achieved good outcomes. All the relatives we spoke to gave positive feedback about the staff team. Comments included, "From the first time I stepped into Briarcroft, it felt like a blanket of love". "I don't have

enough good words to say. They are brilliant. It's like a real home". And, "They're wonderful, been fantastic, like a family to me. [Relative] is so happy". Staff supported several people who had failed placements elsewhere. They were non-judgmental about how people expressed their emotions and worked with people and professionals to develop positive strategies to support people.

Staff were keen to continuously learn and improve care and sought opportunities to engage with external professionals to do so. Two senior staff had volunteered to take part in a hydration pilot project with a view to improving hydration and reducing urinary tract infections and falls. In December 2021 they were awarded a silver award in recognition of their work. The service had also engaged in a research project with Plymouth University looking at what constituted good quality care across a range of services. Health care professionals highlighted how open the service was and how keen they were to improve. One said, "They genuinely have people's best interests at heart". The registered manager sought feedback from people's relatives both informally and via an annual survey. The provider collated the responses and we saw people's relatives openly shared both positive and constructive feedback.