Inspection reveals Brampton Lodge care home requires improvements in all areas

THE owners of the Brampton Lodge Care Home at Appleton, Warrington, have been told it requires improvements in all areas following a recent inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

At the time of the inspection at the beginning of July the home was in the process of a change of management, who have expressed disappointed with the findings of the work and already appointed a new clinical lead to help address the issues.

Brampton Lodge provides accommodation and nursing, personal and intermediate care for up to 59 older people, some of whom are living with dementia. The home is split into three wings providing care for, 30 people living with dementia, 15 general nursing places and 14 intermediate care places. At the time of the CQC inspection the service was providing accommodation to 57 people.

Brampton Lodge was in the process of a change of management, as a result inspectors found inconsistency in the recording of information and care planning due to systems being reviewed and updated. The governance systems were in the process of being implemented and existing systems being updated.
Some care plans had been updated and contained personalised information however, others were task based and lacked person-centred details.
Good practice regarding the safe administration of medicine was not always being followed. The oversight of medicine was not robust enough to ensure people were safely given their medicines.
The deployment of staff within the home was not always appropriate, and inspectors observed people being left for long periods of time without their assessed level of support.
The gaps in recruitment resulted in the use of agency staff this presented difficulties to some people being supported and additional pressures on permanent staff. People raised concerns regarding the staff turnover.
People were not always provided with a choice, some people had to get up in the morning when was convenient for the staff rather than when they wanted too.
People were not always supported at mealtimes which resulted in people eating cold food, no encouragement was provided for those that required this level of support and food choices were limited.
Restrictions were in place for some people without the legal authority to do so. Not all people were given the opportunity to participate in activities within the home, this is something inspectors have recommended the provider reviews.
Health and safety checks were in place and were being monitored as required. Policies and procedures were in place to safeguard people from abuse and staff were aware of their own roles and responsibilities. People told us they felt safe.

The provider needs to continue to make the changes identified within this inspection report and their own internal audits.
People were not supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff did not always support them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests. This system was being reviewed at the time of the inspection.
The last rating for the service under the previous provider care concept, was good (published on 13 November 2020).
The inspection was prompted in part due to concerns received about poor care and staffing levels. Inspectors looked at infection prevention and control measures under the Safe key question. They look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the
service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.
They also found evidence the provider needs to make improvements, please see the Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well led sections of this report.
They also identified breaches in relation to the administration of medication, lack of person-centred care, processes relating to the Mental Capacity Act and governance systems in managing and monitoring the service.
Recommendations have also been made in relation to residents participating in activities.
THE CQC has requested an action plan from the provider to understand what that they will do to improve the standards of quality and safety. They will work alongside the provider and local authority to monitor progress.
They will continue to monitor information they receive about the service, which will help inform when they next inspect.

In response to the report, Jamie Braganza, a director at the Anavo Group who now run the home said: “We are disappointed with the results of the latest CQC inspection report of Brampton Lodge, and have already begun implementing measures to address the challenges and concerns raised. This includes the appointment of a new Clinical Lead. Our foremost concern is always the safety and wellbeing of our residents, and we are committed to providing premium healthcare facilities and delivering quality care that is fully compliant with the CQC’s high clinical standards.”
A full copy of the report can be read HERE