20 February 2017
During a routine inspection
At the last inspection in November 2014 we had rated the service as ‘Good’. At this inspection we found the service remained ‘Good’ and met each of the fundamental standards we inspected.
There was a new registered manager employed at the service since the last inspection. 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.
People told us that they were safe living in this home and said that the staff supported them to stay safe in the local community. We saw that people who lived in the home were comfortable with the staff who worked there. People were protected from the risk of abuse because the staff in the home understood their responsibility to keep people safe and the actions to take if they were concerned a person may be at risk of harm.
There were enough staff to provide the care that people needed and to support people to follow the activities they enjoyed. People told us that they liked the staff and said the staff treated them with kindness and respect.
People enjoyed the meals provided in the home. They were included in planning and preparing their own meals and were given support to maintain a healthy diet.
All the staff employed in the home had received training to ensure they had the skills and knowledge to provide the support people needed. The staff knew how to support people to make choices about their lives and how they communicated their wishes. People were given choices about all aspects of their lives and were supported to maintain their independence.
People were provided with opportunities to follow their interests and hobbies and they were introduced to new activities.
The registered manager of the home was knowledgeable about the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards, (DoLS). The focus of the home was on promoting individuals’ rights and independence and no one in the home had any restrictions on their right to make their own choices.
Medicines were handled safely in the home and people received their medication as prescribed by their doctor. People told us that the staff in the home supported them to attend health care appointments as they needed. People were supported to maintain good health because they had access to appropriate health care services.
We saw that people in the home were included in decisions about how their care was provided. The atmosphere was open and inclusive. People had been asked for their views about the service and the care they received and action was taken in response to their comments.
People had the opportunity to give their views about the service and a complaints procedure was available and written in a way to help people understand if they did not read. We found no complaints had been received since the last inspection.
The service was well-led and the provider undertook a range of audits to check on the quality of care provided. People living in the home were very positive about the new manager. Staff reported an open and inclusive culture that promoted good team work.
Further information is in the detailed findings below.