About the service:

Arden House is a residential care home. It provides accommodation and personal care for up to eight people who have learning disabilities and additional needs. Six people were living at Arden House at the time of the inspection.

People’s experience of using this service:

• We received exclusively very positive feedback from people, relatives and professionals about the service provided at Arden House.

• Staff were proud of the homely environment and their approach to care. The service was bright and comfortable, and staff were kind and compassionate.

• There were enough staff to meet people’s needs, and several of the staff team had worked at Arden House for many years. Safe recruitment procedures were in place.

• Staff felt well supported and received training, induction and supervision to help them carry out their role.

• People were protected from the risk of harm as far as possible. Policies, procedures and checks were in place to protect people and staff. Information was available for staff to enable them to manage risks safely. We have made a recommendation about window safety risk assessments.

• People's medicines were administered as prescribed and managed safely by competent staff.

• People were encouraged to eat and drink enough and maintain a balanced diet. People enjoyed the meals provided, and staff sought the advice of specialist professionals when necessary.

• People were supported to participate in a wide range of activities and were active members of the local community.

• People had care plans which were personalised and identified what was important to them, including their likes and preferences. Care plans provided relevant guidance for staff and were reviewed and updated regularly.

• Care records contained detailed and highly personalised end of life plans.

• Checks and audits were carried out regularly at the service. Audits included action plans which enabled the provider to monitor and improve care for people

• The provider worked within the principles of the Mental Capacity Act, and any restrictions on people’s liberty were appropriately and safely managed.

Rating at last inspection:

This provider had not previously been inspected by CQC.

Although there had been a change to the service provider name, Arden House is a well-established care home.

Why we inspected:

This was a planned inspection following a change of service provider.

Follow up:

We will continue to monitor the service through the information we receive. We will visit the service in line with our inspection schedule, or sooner if required.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk