The inspection was unannounced and took place on 20 June 2016. The Grove is registered with the Care Quality Commission to provide accommodation and personal care for a maximum of 12 people. There were 10 people living at the home on the day of the inspection. There was a registered manager in place. 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 were protected from harm as staff knew how to protect them from abuse. People told us that they were supported when required and they were happy with the support they received.
People received their medicines in a way that kept them safe. Staff had received medication training and there were arrangements in place for managing people’s medication.
Staff had been recruited following the appropriate checks on their suitability to support people living in the home. Staff were available to meet people’s needs promptly and they demonstrated good knowledge about people living at the home.
People were able to tell care staff about the care and treatment they needed and day to day decisions. People were assured that all staff have been trained and understood how to look after them. All staff we spoke with felt they had the right skills and knowledge and attended regular training to ensure they kept their knowledge updated.
People were involved in choosing their meals and all staff were seen to support people to eat and drink if needed. People told us the food was good and a choice of meals was available. People were supported to access professional healthcare outside of the home, for example they had regular visits with their GP. Where appointments were needed at hospital these were supported by staff and any changes to care needs recorded and implemented.
People told us they felt staff were caring and that they knew how to look after the people who lived at the home. Staff showed us that they knew the interests, likes and dislikes of people. We saw that staff ensured that they were respectful of people’s choices and decisions.
People living at the home told us they would speak to staff and the registered manager about any concerns. The registered manager advised that as a small service any concerns were picked up and dealt with immediately.
Staff were supported to carry out their roles and responsibilities effectively, so that people received care and support in-line with their needs and wishes. The management team ensured regular checks were completed to monitor the quality of the care that people received and action had been taken where areas were identified for improvement.