Brandon nursing home gets good report from inspectors

The managers of a care home are celebrating after it received a glowing report from healthcare inspectors just a year after being judged to require improvements.

Brandon Park Nursing Home, which is run by Stowlangtoft Healthcare, received an unannounced inspection from the Care Quality Commission in January and was rated as good in four out of five inspection criteria including safety and patient care.

During an inspection a year earlier, in January 2015, inspectors had found breaches in medicine administration and record-keeping.

However, the published inspection report noted that improvements had been made in the management and running of the service and inspectors felt residents’ care needs were being met.

The manager of the home was said to be “proactive in monitoring the service to determine where improvements were required and developing care and support which was centred around the needs of people using the service”.

The report stated that staffing levels were adequate, with staff described as “kind, confident and for the most part well trained”.

Service users were noted to have “enough to occupy themselves”, with staff helping to provide social stimulation and activities “based around their individual needs and interests”.

People’s independence was encouraged and they were given choices about everyday decisions, the report said.

Inspectors also stated that “overall satisfaction with the service was high” from people staff and relatives they had spoken to.

The care home on Bury Road, which currently cares for around 40 people, was judged to require improvement in its effectiveness.

While medication practices were “mostly robust”, the report concluded it could benefit from further audits.

The CQC also carried out an inspection of Stowlangtoft Hall Care Home, managed by the same company, which also received a ‘good’ rating.

Ruth French, healthcare director, Ruth French, said: “We are delighted that the excellent work that has been put in place by staff at Stowlangtoft Hall and Brandon Park has been formally recognised by the Care Quality Commission.

“Both homes have so much to offer to those people in our community who find themselves in need of care. We are proud that so much has been achieved and we are excited about what the future holds.”

Do you have a relative at Brandon Park Nursing Home? Email bethany.whymark@archant.co.uk