This inspection was carried out by one inspector. We met with ten people who used the service and observed their experiences of care to support our inspection. We spoke with the owner, five care staff, three relatives and one health care professional. At the time of the inspection the registered manager was on holiday.We considered our inspection findings to answer questions we always ask:-
' Is the service safe?
' Is the service effective?
' Is the service caring?
' Is the service responsive?
' Is the service well-led?
Below is a summary of what we found.
Is the service safe?
We found that there were a number of concerns with the medicine procedures and this put people at risk of harm. We have asked the provider to tell us what they are going to do to meet the requirements of the law in relation to management of medicines.
People told us that they felt safe. One person said, 'I feel very safe living here, the staff know me and look after me very well.' Relatives that we spoke to were confident that their relative was being well looked after.
The provider had quality assurance checks in place to ensure that people were cared for in an environment that was clean and hygienic.
At the time of the inspection, there was one person at the home subject to Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards and staff had followed correct procedures.
The home had emergency procedures in place to keep people safe from harm, including harm from epidemics for example.
Is the service effective?
People told us that they were happy with the care that was delivered and their needs were met. It was clear from our observations and from speaking with staff that they had a good understanding of the people's care and support needs and that they knew them well. Staff had received training to meet the needs of the people living at the home.
We saw that people were provided with a suitable choice of food and refreshments at meal times. One person said, "You get plenty and I sometimes ask for more."
Visitors told us that they were able to visit whenever they liked and staff were always helpful.
Is the service caring?
We saw that care workers were patient and gave reassurance when supporting people. People told us they were able to do things at their own pace and were not rushed. Our observations confirmed this. One person told us, 'It's great here, I am very happy and people care about me.' We asked two relatives if they had any concerns about the care provided by the home and they told us that were happy with the care provided. One relative said, 'I have been coming here for a long time and have never seen anything of concern, the staff are very caring.'
We observed the owner talked to people who lived at the home in a kind and compassionate way.
Is the service responsive?
People's needs had been assessed before they moved into the home. One relative told us that the home had helped to arrange an appointment for additional health care needs to be addressed.
One person told us that they attended meetings for people living in the home. They told us that staff listened to them and helped them with anything they had comments or concerns about.
People had access to activities that were important to them like visits to hairdressers for example and were supported to maintain relationships with their friends and relatives.
Is the service well-led?
There was a registered manager at the service.
Staff had a good understanding of the ethos of the home and quality assurance processes were in place. Additionally, a robust medication audit was to be implemented immediately after the inspection after concerns were highlighted with the management of medication.
We found that the registered manager and owner were open and responsive to concerns highlighted and wanted to immediately put in place improvement measures within the service.