What life is like for people using this service:

People were happy with the care and support that they received living at Briarfields. People told us care staff treated them well and that staff were kind and considerate in their approach to people. People were given choices and were encouraged to have control over their lives and the support that they received.

People were kept safe and protected from the risk of abuse and/or harm by staff who were suitably skilled and trained. People received their medicines on time and received additional healthcare support as they needed it.

People were involved in the planning of their care and assessments and care plans were personalised. This meant people could receive care that was individualised to them.

People told us that the management team were approachable and there was an open and inclusive culture within the service.

The service met the characteristics of Good in all areas; more information is available in the full report below.

Rating at last inspection: Good (report published 24 August 2016)

About the service: Briarfields is a care home that provides accommodation with personal care for up to 43 older people. At the time of our inspection, there were 38 people using the service. The home is set out over two floors and is divided into four units. Each unit has its own communal and dining area.

Why we inspected: This was a planned inspection based on the date and rating of the last inspection. The service continues to be rated Good overall.

Follow up: We will continue to monitor the service through the information we receive.

This inspection took place on 2 August 2016 and was unannounced.

Briarfields is registered to provide accommodation with personal care to a maximum of 43 older people. There were 40 people living at the home on the day of our inspection. The home is divided into four units which each have their own communal areas.

A registered manager was in post and was present during our inspection. 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 felt safe and were supported safely by staff within the home. Staff had received training in recognising when people may be at risk of harm or abuse. They knew how to protect people and how to report any concerns they may have about a person's safety. Where risks to people’s safety were identified action was taken by staff to make sure those risks were reduced as far as possible.

People were supported safely by sufficient numbers of staff. Although people had experienced a high use of agency staff for a short period of time recently this had now settled. People now had a better consistency of staff due to the provider recruiting into all staff vacancies. The provider completed employment and character checks on staff before they started work to check they were suitable to work with people at the home.

People were supported to take their medicines safely and when they needed them. People only received their medicines from staff that were trained to support them. Staff practice was continually re assessed to make sure the support they gave people with their medicine was safe.

People were supported by staff who had the skills and knowledge to meet their needs. Staff received training that was relevant to the people they supported and their specific needs. Staff received the support and guidance they needed to complete their roles effectively.

People were only supported with their consent. Staff involved people and helped them to make choices and decisions about their day-to-day care. Staff understood how to protect people’s rights if they could not make their own decisions in making sure all decisions were made in a person’s best interest.

People had enough to eat and drink and were supported to maintain a well-balanced diet. People’s health needs were met and they were supported to access healthcare services when needed.

People received support from staff who had a caring approach. Staff were polite and friendly. Staff listened to and respected people’s wishes about how they wanted their care delivered. People’s dignity and privacy was respected by staff at all times.

People received care and support that responded to their changing needs and was reviewed regularly by staff to make sure it met their needs. People enjoyed the social events that took place at the home although some people wanted more events to happen. The registered manager had recently sought people’s views on how they wanted to spend their time and had arranged for extra events to happen based on their feedback.

People enjoyed the atmosphere of the home and were involved in what happened at the home. People’s views on the care they received were sought by the provider and registered manager and this was used to make improvements. The provider had systems in place which meant the quality of the service they provided was continually monitored and action taken to drive improvement.

People we spoke with were satisfied with the service they received. They told us that the atmosphere was, "Very friendly and caring". One person said, "It's a good place to live and I feel safe with the staff that help me".

People told us that they attended reviews to ensure that the care they received continued to reflect their needs. People were supported to meet their individual needs in ways that promoted their health and wellbeing. This meant that the care was responsive to people’s needs. However, the provider had assisted a person to manage their own care and treatment which had impacted on the dignity and rights of others in the home.

The premises were clean, hygienic and safe. An odour issue with flooring in one bedroom was known to the provider and action was taken to address this.

The provider had a system in place to monitor the quality of the service it was providing. However, the effectiveness of the operation of these systems could be reviewed. This would ensure that the awareness of problems would be managed well.

People shared their experience of the care they received. Comments included, “I am very well cared for” and “I like it here, the staff are fabulous”.

People told us that staff were respectful and kind to them. They said staff understood their needs well and supported them to make decisions about their care. For example, when to get up and retire, choice of food and activities. They told us the staff respected their privacy and dignity and assisted them to be independent.

People said they felt safe living at Briarfields. Staff told us they had received training in keeping people safe and demonstrated an understanding of the different forms of abuse. They knew the procedure to follow if they suspected abuse or observed any poor practice.

People said that staff were,” very kind” and “very good”. People had confidence the staff would do the right thing for them and considered staff would act in their best interests. Staff told us they enjoyed working at the home. They said they received good training opportunities to equip them with the skills and knowledge to do their jobs. They told us they were well supported in their work.

People told us that the staff regularly asked them if they were happy with the service provided. They said they felt listened to and were confident to raise any concerns. One person told us, “I’ve not had any complaints in all the time I have lived here”.

We carried out this review to check on the care and welfare of people who used this service.

We did not review every outcome for this provider. We were proportionate in our approach and focused on outcome one, four, seven, 14 and 16.

We spoke with eight people who lived at the home, four staff and management.

There were many positive comments and overall people were very pleased with the care and support they received. Many comments were made about staff being ‘kind and caring’, ‘helpful and friendly’. People repeatedly described Briarfields as ‘being their home’. They commented that staff were eager to help them have a good quality of life.

People who used the service said they received information before they agreed to the service. Their family had visited on their behalf prior to making a decision. They said they had their needs assessed and were monitored closely by the staff involved with their care.

People said they were treated as individuals and any changes to care communicated to the care workers speedily which ensured consistent quality care.

We spoke with staff who had different roles in the home. They told us they enjoyed their work and were well supported.

Staff shared examples of how they promoted privacy and dignity. They told us they were provided with the required training to keep people safe and meet their individual and complex needs. Staff told us that they felt valued and enjoyed their work. They said the manager was approachable and welcomed suggestions for improvement. Staff considered they were "definitely" able to meet the individual needs of the people they supported. One person said, "I enjoy my job. Briarfields is a good home to work in. The service users seem very happy with us and the care they receive".

People told us staff listened and acted on what they said. They told us they were involved in the assessment, planning and reviewing of their care. They told us that the manager provided good support and regularly talked with them to gain their views about the service.