This inspection was carried out on 27 March 2018. The inspection was announced.

Arden House is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Arden House accommodates up to three people who are experiencing mental health difficulties. Arden House is a small terraced house. There were two people living at the service when we inspected.

The service had a registered manager. 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. The registered manager was off sick. The provider had appropriate management support in place to cover. An acting manager had been put in place who was supported by a registered manager from one of the provider’s other services.

Risks had not always been appropriately assessed and mitigated to ensure people were safe.

Medicines had not always been managed safely. Records had not always evidenced that people had received their medicines as prescribed.

Effective systems were not in place to enable the provider to assess, monitor and improve the quality and safety of the service. Although policies and procedures had been reviewed and updated they did not always relate to the most up to date regulation and guidance.

People were very happy with their care and support. Staff had built up good relationships with people.

Health and social care professionals were complimentary about the service people received.

There were enough staff deployed to meet people’s needs. The provider operated safe and robust recruitment and selection procedures to make sure staff were suitable and safe to work with people.

Staff knew what they should do to identify and raise safeguarding concerns.

The service was clean, tidy and equipment had been properly checked.

People were encouraged to make their own choices about everyday matters.

People's care plans clearly detailed their care and support needs. People were fully involved with the care planning process including identifying triggers, signs and actions to address their mental health needs.

People were encouraged and supported to engage with activities that met their needs. People accessed their local community independently and with the staff.

People had choices of food at each meal time. People purchased their own food and were given a weekly allowance for this. Some people prepared and cooked their meals independently and some people had support and encouragement to prepare and cook meals. People were supported and encouraged to have a varied and healthy diet.

People were supported and helped to maintain their health and to access health services when they needed them.

Staff were cheerful, kind and patient in their approach and had a good rapport with people. The atmosphere in the service was calm and relaxed. Staff treated people with dignity and respect. The service was small and homely.

People were supported to maintain their relationships with people who mattered to them.

People knew who to talk to if they were unhappy about the service. There had been no complaints about the service.

People told us that the service was well run. Staff were positive about the support they received from the management team. They felt they could raise concerns and they would be listened to.

We found one breach of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. You can see what action we told the provider to take at the back of the full version of this report.