We carried out an unannounced comprehensive inspection of this service on 20 and 21 September 2016. We found that medication practices and procedures were not safe or being followed by staff and improvements were required. We found medicines were not stored securely for the protection of people who used the service. Our observations of the medication rounds showed that people were at risk of receiving their medication too close together. Additionally, not all people using the service had received their medication as they should or in line with the prescriber’s instructions.

As a result of our concerns a breach of regulatory requirement relating to Regulation 12 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 was made. We undertook a focused inspection on 15 June 2017 to review the above and to ensure that compliance with regulatory requirements had now been achieved. This report only covers our findings in relation to this area. You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Brooklands Nursing Home on our website at www.cqc.org.uk

A registered manager was in post. 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.

Medicines were safely and securely stored, recorded and administered in line with current guidance to ensure people received their prescribed medicines to meet their needs. This ensured that people using the service received their prescribed medication as they should and in a safe way. Staff were suitably trained to administer medication and had their competency assessed at regular intervals to ensure they remained competent to undertake this task. Suitable arrangements were in place to assess and monitor the provider’s arrangements for compliance with medication.

Brooklands Nursing Home provides accommodation and personal care for up to 45 older people. Some people also have dementia related needs. The inspection was completed on 20 and 21 September 2016 and there were 43 people living at the service when we inspected.

A registered manager was in post. 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.

The arrangements for the management of medicines required improvement relating to staff’s practice and medication records. Minor improvements were needed to ensure that the provider’s recruitment systems were robust.

Although people did not think always feel that there were sufficient numbers of staff available to meet their needs or their relative’s needs, our observations showed that staffing levels were suitable at the time of the inspection. However improvements were needed to ensure that the deployment of staff was suitable to support people safely and to ensure that communal lounge areas were supported.

Staff had a good understanding of safeguarding procedures to enable them to keep people safe and the management team had a consistent approach in place to effectively deal with safeguarding. People confirmed that they felt and were kept safe.

Staff received opportunities for training and this ensured that staff employed at the service had the right skills to meet people’s needs. Staff felt supported and received appropriate formal supervision. Staff demonstrated a good understanding and awareness of how to treat people with respect and dignity.

The dining experience for people was positive and people were complimentary about the quality of the meals provided. Staff were friendly, kind and caring towards the people they supported and care provided met people’s individual care and support needs. Care plans accurately reflected people’s care and support needs. People received appropriate support to have their social care needs met. People told us that their healthcare needs were well managed.

Where people lacked capacity to make day-to-day decisions about their care and support, we saw that decisions had been made in their best interests. The registered manager was up-to-date with changes to the law regarding the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) and at the time of the inspection they were working with the Local Authority to make sure people’s legal rights were being protected. People who used the service and their relatives were involved in making decisions about their care and support.

People and their relatives told us that if they had any concern they would discuss these with the management team or staff on duty. People were confident that their complaints or concerns were listened to, taken seriously and acted upon.

There was an effective system in place to regularly assess and monitor the quality of the service provided. The registered manager was able to demonstrate how they measured and analysed the care provided to people, and how this ensured that the service was continually improving to meet people’s needs.

We carried out an unannounced comprehensive inspection of this service on 20 and 21 September 2016. We found that medication practices and procedures were not safe or being followed by staff and improvements were required. We found medicines were not stored securely for the protection of people who used the service. Our observations of the medication rounds showed that people were at risk of receiving their medication too close together. Additionally, not all people using the service had received their medication as they should or in line with the prescriber’s instructions.

As a result of our concerns a breach of regulatory requirement relating to Regulation 12 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 was made. We undertook a focused inspection on 15 June 2017 to review the above and to ensure that compliance with regulatory requirements had now been achieved. This report only covers our findings in relation to this area. You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Brooklands Nursing Home on our website at www.cqc.org.uk

A registered manager was in post. 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.

Medicines were safely and securely stored, recorded and administered in line with current guidance to ensure people received their prescribed medicines to meet their needs. This ensured that people using the service received their prescribed medication as they should and in a safe way. Staff were suitably trained to administer medication and had their competency assessed at regular intervals to ensure they remained competent to undertake this task. Suitable arrangements were in place to assess and monitor the provider’s arrangements for compliance with medication.