This inspection was unannounced and took place on 11 October 2016. Cliff Court Care Home provides care and accommodation to up to 18 people. The home specialises in the care of older people living with dementia. The home is situated on a cliff top walk and has panoramic sea views.

The home does not provide nursing care and people who require nursing assistance were supported regularly by the community nursing team.

One provider is also the registered manager in post. 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 open and approachable and supported people and staff well.

The manager had robust systems in the home to monitor the quality of the service offered to

people.

People told us staff were kind and caring and always respected their privacy and dignity. Several people commented on how helpful staff were. One person said ““It’s lovely here. We please ourselves and staff are so kind.” Another person said “Staff are always kind. We have a laugh.”

People felt well looked after and said the home arranged for them to see healthcare professionals according to their individual needs. A visiting doctor informed us the staff monitored people’s health and always asked for advice if they had any concerns. They said “I have no concerns about the home. They are responsive. They take action and listen to any advice given”

Care was responsive to people’s needs and personalised to their wishes and preferences. People were able to make choices about all aspects of their day to day lives. Staff knew the importance of learning about people’s preferred ways of daily living and supporting them to continue to be independent when possible.

Staff were aware of how to assist people to make decisions if they lacked the mental capacity to make decisions for themselves. People were involved in discussions about the care and support they received and were made aware of any risks. The staff responded to changes in people’s needs and adjusted care accordingly.

People enjoyed the food in the home. They had a choice of food and staff catered for people with specific dietary needs and preferences when required. Food was plentiful and the size of people’s meals varied according to their appetite and preferences.

Staff had access to on-going training in health and safety and the specific needs of the people who lived at the home. This made sure staff had the skills and knowledge to safely and effectively support people.

There was a robust recruitment procedure which minimised the risks of abuse to people. Staff had received training in recognising and reporting abuse and were confident that any concerns would be fully investigated to make sure people were protected.

People knew how to make a complaint and everyone told us they would be comfortable to do so. All were confident they would be listened to and action would be taken to address any shortfalls. One person said “The manager listens to us; we can catch her most days. You just mention something and they take it on board.”

During our visit we saw that people were being treated with dignity and respect and people's independence was encouraged. People were spoken to in a respectful way. People we spoke to told us that staff were polite, friendly and helpful. A family member told us that her relative's privacy was respected whilst they were supported to maintain some independence. This family member told us staff were 'gentle and unhurried' in their interactions with people.

We saw that people experienced safe and effective care based on detailed care plans and risk assessments that met individual needs.

People using the service were protected from abuse as they were supported by a staff team who had appropriate knowledge and training on safeguarding adults. People told us if they had any concerns they would report them to a manager or senior person on duty.

Staff received ongoing training and supervision which provided them with the skills and knowledge to meet the needs of the people they were supporting.

The provider had effective systems in place to monitor and assess the quality of service.

During our visit we spoke with five people who used the service and two visiting family members of a husband and wife who used the service. We spoke with four staff members; these were the manager, the activities co-ordinator and two care workers.

We also took information from other sources to help us understand the views of people who used the service, which included a satisfaction survey and meeting minutes.

The people we spoke with told us they were happy with the care they received and with the staff team.

One person who used the service told us “it’s nice and quiet here, I get lovely walks out and it [the home] is all clean”. Another person who used the service we spoke with told us “she [a care worker] is brilliant, she would do anything for you”.

A family member of a person who used the service who was visiting on the day of our visit told us “I have no complaints, they [their relatives] live here like it’s their own home and they get plenty of freedom to do what they want”.

Staff we spoke with knew the people living at the home well and had a good understanding of their support needs.

One member of staff we spoke with told us “I love the residents and they like it here as well”.

People living at Cliff Court Care Home are supported, enabled and encouraged to express their views and make or participate in making decisions relating to their care and treatment. We observed that people living at Cliff Court were offered choice at meal times and offered the opportunity to participate in activities.

People looked well cared for and appeared happy. We observed that staff spoke to people in a kind and considerate manner and offered support to people who needed it discretely and respectfully.

Feedback on surveys carried out by the home with relatives and other stakeholders was positive. People living at Cliff Court are supported, enabled and encouraged to express their views and make or participate in making decisions relating to their care and treatment. We observed that people living at Cliff Court were offered choice at meal times and offered the opportunity to participate in activities.

People looked well cared for and appeared happy. We observed that staff spoke to people in a kind and considerate manner and offered support to people who needed it discretely and respectfully.

Feedback on surveys carried out by the home with relatives and other stakeholders was positive.

Not all of the people we spoke to were able to given an opinion on all aspects of the service but we observed that people looked well groomed. One person said they thought the home was ok but added ‘it’s not the same as your own’.