The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has raised the rating for Brenalwood Care Home from inadequate to good following an inspection in September, and removed it from special measures.
Brenalwood Care Home, run by Regal Care Trading Ltd, is a residential care home that provides accommodation and personal care to up to 38 older people, people living with dementia, with a physical disability and/or a sensory impairment. There were 14 people using the service during this inspection, most were living with dementia.
This inspection was carried out to follow up on the progress of improvements made against previous enforcement action, which included breaches of regulations related to safe care and treatment, staffing, and governance.
At this inspection, CQC found the service had made sufficient improvements and they are no longer in breach of regulations.
CQC has raised the home’s overall rating from inadequate to good, as well as for being safe. CQC has raised the home’s ratings for effective, caring and responsive from requires improvement to good. Well-led has improved from inadequate to good.
Hazel Roberts, CQC deputy director of operations in the east of England, said:
“When we returned to Brenalwood Care Home, we were pleased to find a calmer, more stable and caring environment where people felt safe, respected and well supported by consistent staff who knew them well.
“It was evident the new management team had taken meaningful action to address the concerns raised at previous inspections. Leaders had strengthened the way they monitor and manage the service, introduced clear systems to learn from incidents, and worked collaboratively with external professionals to improve care delivery.
“We saw staff now involve people and their loved ones in planning care, understand their preferences, and support people to maintain independence, dignity and choice. This is a clear shift in culture towards person-centred care. The home now provides more meaningful activities and people can engage in routines and decisions that matter to them, from choosing their food and clothing, to enjoying time in the garden with relatives.
“People and their families told us they now feel listened to, and that staff take time to provide thoughtful, compassionate care. Staff themselves told us they felt valued, supported, and proud of the changes they had achieved. It’s also encouraging to see improved staff training and stability in leadership from their senior management team.
“While the service still needs to fully embed some of these management improvements. The staff and leaders at Brenalwood Care Home should be proud of the improvements they’ve achieved together for their residents. We’ve shared our findings with them and will continue to monitor the service to ensure these improvements to people’s care are embedded and sustained.”
Inspectors also found:
- Brenalwood ensured people had access to regular exercise, including armchair-based movement activities, and were encouraged to take part in themed days, which helped maintain both physical and mental wellbeing.
- Staff ensured people’s rooms were personalised and adapted to reflect their preferences and needs.
- Leaders had improved signage to help people navigate the home more independently.
- Staff had designated champion roles in key areas such as safeguarding and oral health and were given additional training to support them.
- The home had taken steps to support people’s cultural and spiritual needs. While Easter and Christmas were celebrated in line with the cultural background of most people living at the home, staff also marked other festivals. People’s spiritual wellbeing was also supported through regular monthly visits from a local place of worship.
The Brenalwood Care Home report will be published on our website in the coming days.