Abbeyfield (Somerset) Society is a care home which is registered to provide care and accommodation to up to 44 people. The home is able to provide care for older people with a variety of needs. One part of the home, Quantock, provides care for people living with dementia, the main part of the home provides care to older people with personal care needs and there are six apartments for people who wish to live a more independent lifestyle within the safety and security of the care home.

At the time of the inspection there were 34 people living at the home

At the last inspection, the service was rated Good.

At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

Why the service is rated Good

People remained safe at the home. There were adequate numbers of suitable staff to meet people’s needs and to spend time socialising with them. One person said “There’s enough of them [staff] to keep us all entertained and amused.” Risk assessments were carried out to enable people to retain their independence and receive care with minimum risk to themselves or others. People received their medicines safely.

Improvements had been made to ensure people received receive effective care. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. Staff had the skills and knowledge required to effectively support people. People told us their healthcare needs were met and staff supported them to attend appointments.

The home continued to provide a caring service to people. People told us, and we observed, that staff were kind and patient. One person commented “They [staff] are unfailingly kind and courteous.” People, or their representatives, were involved in decisions about the care and support they received.

The service remained responsive to people’s individual needs. Care and support was personalised to each person which ensured they were able to make choices about their day to day lives. There was an excellent programme of activities which made sure people could continue with their hobbies and interests. Complaints were fully investigated and responded to.

The service continued to be well led. People told us the management within the home were open and approachable. The registered manager and provider continually monitored the quality of the service and made improvements in accordance with people’s changing needs. People lived in a happy environment because staff morale was good.

Further information is in the detailed findings below

Abbeyfield (Somerset) Society is a care home which is registered to provide care and accommodation to up to 44 people. The home is able to provide care for older people with a variety of needs. One part of the home, Quantock, provides care for people living with dementia, the main part of the home provides care to older people with personal care needs and there are six apartments for people who wish to live a more independent lifestyle within the safety and security of the care home.

At the time of the inspection there were 34 people living at the home

At the last inspection, the service was rated Good.

At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

Why the service is rated Good

People remained safe at the home. There were adequate numbers of suitable staff to meet people’s needs and to spend time socialising with them. One person said “There’s enough of them [staff] to keep us all entertained and amused.” Risk assessments were carried out to enable people to retain their independence and receive care with minimum risk to themselves or others. People received their medicines safely.

Improvements had been made to ensure people received receive effective care. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. Staff had the skills and knowledge required to effectively support people. People told us their healthcare needs were met and staff supported them to attend appointments.

The home continued to provide a caring service to people. People told us, and we observed, that staff were kind and patient. One person commented “They [staff] are unfailingly kind and courteous.” People, or their representatives, were involved in decisions about the care and support they received.

The service remained responsive to people’s individual needs. Care and support was personalised to each person which ensured they were able to make choices about their day to day lives. There was an excellent programme of activities which made sure people could continue with their hobbies and interests. Complaints were fully investigated and responded to.

The service continued to be well led. People told us the management within the home were open and approachable. The registered manager and provider continually monitored the quality of the service and made improvements in accordance with people’s changing needs. People lived in a happy environment because staff morale was good.

Further information is in the detailed findings below

The home was divided into three units, one unit provided specialist care for people with dementia. We were unable to speak with people in this unit due to limited verbal communication, we were able to speak to people in the other units and gathered evidence from speaking with staff, and observing care.

People we spoke to were happy with the service provided. One person told us "It couldn't be better". Another person told us "I am very happy here, the staff are friendly and there is a nice atmosphere".

We saw evidence that staff training was comprehensive and up to date. The staff we spoke to demonstrated that they were familiar with systems in place to recognise and report abuse and felt confident to do so.

All the staff we spoke to were happy in their work, one member of staff told us "When I wake up, I want to go to work". The enthusiasm of the staff was reflected in their commitment to provide a stimulating environment for people with numerous activities and social events.

Meals provided at the home were of a high standard, offering a wide variety which were appetising and nutritionally balanced. People told us "The food is smashing and there is always plenty to eat".

The provider had systems in place to assess and monitor the service of provision. These systems allowed for continuous improvement of the service through regular audit and gathering views from residents, relatives and staff.

The home was divided into three areas. One area provided specialist care to people who had a dementia. In this part of the home some people were unable to fully express their views but we saw that they had unrestricted access to their rooms and all communal areas. We also noted that staff offered people choices about food, drinks and activities.

We observed that people were able to choose how and where they spent their time. We noted that some people spent time in communal areas and some preferred to occupy themselves in their personal rooms. We saw that staff knocked on bedroom doors before entering which showed that they respected people’s privacy.

People said that they had been involved in writing their care plan. We were told “they ask you how you would like things done and they write it all down so everyone knows.”

Everyone we asked said that they were happy with the care that they received. Comments included “the care is good,” “I am well looked after” and “I couldn’t wish for better care.”

All areas of the home that we saw were clean and fresh.

We looked at the recruitment files of the three most recently appointed members of staff. These files demonstrated that the home had a robust recruitment procedure which minimised the risks of abuse to people who lived at the home.

People who were able to express an opinion said that they would be able to speak with a member of staff if they were unhappy about the service they received.

The home was divided into three areas. The main area provided single room accommodation and another part was made up of six self contained apartments. The third area of the home provided specialist care for people who had a dementia. Many people living in this part of the home were unable to fully express their views verbally. We observed that people appeared content and relaxed with the staff who supported them.

We saw that people were able to make choices about where they spent their time. Some people spent time in the communal areas, some in their personal rooms and some attended activities in the activities area.

People told us that they were able to make choices about what time they got up, when they went to bed and how they spent their day. One person said “We please ourselves really.”

Some people spoken with were aware of their care plans and said that they were always asked about the care they needed. One person told us “They always ask you how you want to be helped.”

Everyone said that their privacy was respected and felt that they were treated with dignity. One person commented “Staff always knock on your door and are always very polite.” Throughout the day we observed that staff spoke in a friendly polite manner.

The menu showed that there is always a choice of main meal and people living in the main part of the home said that they were asked what they would like before each meal. On the day of our visit we observed that people living in the area of the home which cares for people with a dementia were not offered a choice of main meal, condiments or which vegetables they preferred.

People told us that they were very happy with the care that they received. Comments included “It’s wonderful the way we are looked after,” “They look after you very well” and “I get all the help I need.”

Everyone asked said that they always got the care that they needed. One person said “If you are not well they look after you” another person said “If you are ever in pain they will sort it out very quickly.”

People said that they would be happy to speak with a member of staff if they were unhappy about any aspect of their care. One person said “Anything you are not happy about you just say.”

People living at the home felt there was sufficient staff to meet their needs. One person said “There are plenty of staff and they are always quick to help.” Another person commented “Staff will do anything for you, you only have to ask.”

We observed that staff responded promptly to any requests for assistance. There was a relaxed atmosphere in the home and staff had time to socialise with people as well as undertake tasks.

All staff appeared confident and well motivated. One person said “Staff have been very well appointed and trained. They are very kind and responsible but still have a sense of humour.”