The inspection was carried out by one inspector over a time period of six hours. During this inspection, the inspector focused on answering five key questions: is the service safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led?There were six people who used the service at the time of our inspection. Many of the people living at the home had complex needs therefore communication with them was limited. However, we did speak with three people who used the service who were able to tell us about their experiences. We also spoke with visitors of people who used the service.
We looked at the care records of the people who used the service. Care records are documents which identify a person's needs and how staff can meet those needs, including assessments of identified risks for each person. We also looked at staff training records, care audits and policies and procedures.
We met and spoke with the registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and shares the legal responsibility for meeting the requirements of the law with the registered provider. We met and spoke with three members of care staff.
Below is a summary of what we found. The summary describes what we observed, the records we looked at and what people using the service, their friends and relatives and the staff told us.
Is the service safe?
People who used the service benefited from safe care and support, due to good decision making and appropriate management of risks to their health, welfare and safety. Risk assessments with clear action plans helped to make sure that people were protected from foreseeable hazards.
People lived in a clean environment where the risk of infections/cross infection had been managed and reduced.
We found that people who used the service had been protected from the risk of abuse. Staff had been trained in the safeguarding of vulnerable adults and understood their role in doing so. Training included the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards.
The CQC monitors the operation of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards which applies to care homes. No recent applications had been submitted. The registered manager knew about the briefing to providers published by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in April 2014 regarding the deprivation of liberty in care homes. The registered manager had attended training that covered this guidance and developed an understanding of how it is to be applied in practice.
Is the service effective?
People told us that they liked living in the home. They told us that staff were 'good'. Staff had received training which was relevant to the needs of people who used the service. Care and support provided had been effective.
A visitor told us that staff had been 'professional in how they looked after and cared for the people living here'.
Staff had reduced the risk of poor nutrition and dehydration by encouraging and supporting people to receive adequate nutrition and hydration. Food and drink met people's different needs and supported their health.
Is the service caring?
We saw that staff speak with and support people in a caring and compassionate way. People told us that the staff were, 'kind' and 'good fun'. We saw that people who used the service enjoyed and welcomed the attention of staff. A relative of a person who used the service told us that, 'The people living here are very well looked after and cared for'.
Is the service responsive?
People's needs had been assessed before care and support began. People's care plans included their life history, wishes and preferences. People told us they were given the right support and were helped in areas that were important to them. Records showed us how people's needs had been appropriately responded to and that their care, treatment and support had been regularly reviewed.
Is the service well led?
We found policies and procedures were in place that addressed important aspects of the service. A system of quality assurance to identify how to improve the service had been developed. People's views were considered about the quality of care that they received and their views had been acted on. Staff told us that they were listened to and their suggestions were considered and taken into account.