Cedar House is located in the village of Rothley, Leicestershire. The service provides care and accommodation for up to 37 older people with age related needs. On the day of our inspection there were 35 people living at the service.At the last inspection, in March 2015, the service was rated Good. At this inspection we found that the service remained Good.
People told us they felt safe living at Cedar House. The staff team were aware of their responsibilities for keeping people safe from avoidable harm and knew to report any concerns to the management team.
People’s needs had been assessed and the risks associated with their care and support had been assessed and managed.
Care plans had been developed for each person using the service and although these were not always thorough in content; the staff team knew the needs of the people they were supporting well.
Checks had been carried out when new members of staff had started working at the service. This was to make sure that they were suitable and safe to work there. An induction into the service had been provided for all new staff members and on-going training was being delivered. This enabled the staff team to provide the care and support that people needed.
Staff members were aware of their responsibilities under the Mental Capacity Act 2005. People had been involved in making day to day decisions about their care and support and the staff team understood their responsibilities with regard to gaining people’s consent.
People received their medicines as prescribed though the recording of when people were assisted to apply their creams was not always consistent.
People’s nutritional and dietary requirements had been assessed and a balanced diet was provided, with a choice at each mealtime. Monitoring records used to monitor people’s food and fluid intake were not always completed to accurately show snacks and drinks offered in the evening.
People we spoke with felt there were currently enough members of staff on duty each day because their care and support needs were being met.
People were supported to maintain good health. They had access to relevant healthcare services such as doctors and community nurses and they received on-going healthcare support.
The care workers we spoke with felt supported by the management team and they felt able to speak with them if they wanted to raise any issues.
People told us that the staff team were kind and caring and they treated people with respect. The relatives we spoke with agreed and we observed the staff team treating people in a kindly manner throughout our visit.
People were supported to follow their interests and take part in social activities. An activities leader was employed and they supported the people using the service with both one to one and group activities which people clearly enjoyed.
Relatives and friends were encouraged to visit and they told us that they were made welcome at all times by the staff team.
People using the service and their relatives knew what to do if they had a concern of any kind. A formal complaints process was in place and this was displayed. Everyone we spoke with were confident that any concerns that they had would be taken seriously and acted upon.
Meetings were held and surveys were used to gather people's views on the service provided.
There were systems in place to regularly monitor the quality and safety of the service being provided. Regular checks had been carried out on the environment and on the equipment used to maintain people’s safety.
A business continuity plan was in place for emergencies or untoward events.
The registered manager understood their legal responsibility for notifying the Care Quality Commission of deaths, incidents and injuries that occurred or affected people who used the service.