Brooklands Nursing Home

There was a registered manager in post, and staff spoke positively about their leadership, telling us they felt able to raise concerns and were confident the registered manager would respond appropriately. The service used lessons learned following incidents and concerns and shared these with staff to help reduce the risk of similar issues occurring in the future.

The provider had completed the required pre-employment checks, however, employment histories had not always been fully reviewed to identify gaps and ensure safer recruitment decisions. Staff had received training, regular supervision and competency assessments to support them in their roles. Staff spoke positively about the support they received from the management team.

Assessments for people living in shared rooms had not always been completed in line with the service's policy, reducing assurance that people's needs and preferences had been considered. However, care plans were person-centred, reflected people’s individual needs, and were informed by information shared by people and their relatives about what was important to them.

Mental capacity assessments did not always contain sufficient detail. However, we observed staff encouraging people to make choices, and the registered manager actively sought to involve people in the running of the home by encouraging them to share feedback and views about the service.

People spoke positively about the activities available, and we observed warm, positive interactions between staff and people living at the service. Meals were well regarded, and people were supported to make choices and maintain their independence. One person told us staff provided support when needed while respecting their independence.

Audits were detailed and helped identify areas for improvement. However, some issues had been overlooked, particularly in relation to medicines management, where guidance for administering PRN medicines was not always sufficiently detailed.