At the time of the inspection there were thirty people who used the service. We considered all the evidence we had gathered under the outcomes we inspected. We used the information to answer the five 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?
This is a summary of what we found '
Is the service safe?
During the day we spoke with three people who used the service and one relative. We observed staff interaction with people and saw that staff and people had developed trusting relationships. People told us that staff treated them with dignity and respect and they felt safe. One person told us that all of the staff were very good, they said 'I have no complaints'. All of the comments made by people were very positive.
People's safety was promoted because the service obtained advice and support from other health and social care services that people required in order to meet their needs effectively. We spoke with two visiting professionals who stated that they felt people received care which was safe and caring and met the needs of the individual.
Staff had attended safeguarding training and knew how to recognise and report abuse. There were reporting systems in place to make an alert to the local authority regarding abuse. The provider made notifications as required to the Care Quality Commission regarding incidents which may impact on the safety of people who lived in the home.
CQC monitors the operation of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) which applies to care settings. While no applications have been submitted, appropriate policies and procedures were in place. Relevant staff had received training in the Mental Capacity Act and the application of DoLS.
Is the service effective?
People's needs were assessed and they told us that they were involved in planning their care. People we spoke with told us 'they do things the way I want' and one relative told us that the 'manager was very pro-active in ensuring that their relative received appropriate care and support'. We saw from the care records kept in their home that people were involved in making decisions about their care and that these were respected by staff.
People received appropriate care and support because there were effective systems in place to assess, plan, implement, monitor and evaluate people's needs. This ensured their needs were clearly identified and the support they received was meaningful and person centred.
Is the service caring?
We observed that all staff treated people respectfully and were attentive and caring. All of the comments we received were of a positive nature and confirmed that people and relatives were happy with the support received.
Support workers had sufficient information about people's needs and how they should be cared for. This included their preferences and the things that were important to them. The care records we looked at demonstrated that people were consulted about their care needs and that the service offered had been tailored to the individual.
Is the service responsive?
People's care had been reviewed regularly. Other agencies were consulted when there were changes to people's care. All those involved in the person's care were aware of changes so they could respond appropriately and consistently. Positive comments were received from two healthcare professional about the way the home responded to people's changing needs.
Is the service well-led?
People were asked for their views about the service to help ensure their views contributed towards improvements and further development of the service.
The service had quality assurance systems in place so that the quality of service could be maintained and shortfalls could be identified.
The home had a clear staffing structure in place. Staff we spoke with were clear on their roles and responsibilities and there were defined reporting lines so all staff knew who to report to.