The inspection took place on 20 June 2017 and was unannounced. This was the first inspection of the home under the current registration.

Highgrove Care Home is a 78 bed nursing home, providing care to older adults with a range of support and care needs. At the time of the inspection there were 26 people living at the home. The home is divided into four discrete units, although the registered provider had stopped using two of the units and therefore, only two units were in use at the time of the inspection.

Highgrove Care Home is located in Mexborough, a small town in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. The home is known locally as Highgrove Manor. It is in its own grounds in a quiet, residential area, but close to public transport links.

The service had a registered manager who had been registered with the Care Quality Commission since February 2016. 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 told us they felt safe living at the home. Assessments identified potential risks to people, and management plans were in place to reduce these risks. Recruitment processes were safe and we saw there were sufficient staff on duty to meet people’s needs.

Systems were in place to make sure people received their medications safely, which included key staff receiving medication training and regular audits of the system. Although, at the time of the inspection one room where medicines were stored was too warm.

It was a very warm day and periodically, we noticed a smell of urine in one particular area of the home. However, all other parts of the home looked clean and did not smell.

People were supported to have 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 completed an induction and essential training at the beginning of their employment. This was followed by additional training and periodic refresher sessions. They also received regular support and supervision to help them meet people’s needs.

People were supported to eat and drink to maintain a balanced diet, and snacks were available between mealtimes. The people we spoke with said they were happy with the meals provided.

The registered provider had appropriate arrangements in place to ensure they adhered to the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

People were treated with respect and kindness. Staff demonstrated a good knowledge of how to respect people’s preferences and ensure their privacy and dignity was maintained.

Relatives had been encouraged to be involved in planning their or their family members’ care. Care plans checked reflected people’s needs and had been reviewed and updated to reflect people’s changing needs.

People had access to social activities, as well as outings into the community.

There was a system in place to tell people how to raise concerns and how these would be managed. People told us they had no complaints, but would feel comfortable raising any concerns with the registered manager.

There were systems in place to assess if the home was operating correctly and people were satisfied with the service provided. This included meetings and regular audits. Action plans were in place to address any areas that needed improving.