We inspected the service on 6 February 2018. The inspection was unannounced. The Branksome Care Home is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection. The Branksome Care Home accommodates up to 34 people in one adapted building. At the time of our inspection 34 people lived at The Branksome Care Home. The service registered with CQC on the 2 August 2016 and this was their first inspection.

The Branksome Care Home is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection. The Branksome Care Home accommodates up to 34 people in one adapted building. At the time of our inspection 34 people lived at The Branksome Care Home.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post, who was present at the inspection. The service is required to have 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.

There was enough staff available to meet people’s needs as well as spend time with people on an individual basis. Staff had been trained in safeguarding and understood how to raise any concerns. Recruitment processes were in place to ensure any new staff would be subject to pre-employment checks on whether they were suitable to work at the service.

Appropriate arrangements were in place for medicines management and these followed procedures designed to ensure safe medicines practice. People were offered their medicines as prescribed.

Processes were in place to ensure risks and people’s health needs were assessed, managed, monitored and responded to. The premises had been adapted in ways to make sure it was suitable for people using the service.

People’s needs and choices were promoted in a way that prevented and reduced the impact of any discrimination. People’s communication needs were assessed and people were supported to communicate effectively with staff. The Accessible Information Standard was being met. Staff knew how to support people to make decisions and ensure their rights were respected, working in line with the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

Staff were trained and were well supported. Staff were caring and delivered care in a manner that promoted people’s dignity and independence. People enjoyed a variety of different interests and hobbies and had good contact with the local community.

People felt able to raise any issues or concerns. There was a complaints process in place to manage and respond to any complaints should they be made. The service had received many compliments.

The registered manager focussed on providing care that was centred on individuals; and open and transparent management style was promoted. The registered manager had audits and checks in place to provide assurances for the governance of the service. Policies and procedures had been updated to reflect the needs of the service.