Deerlands is a care home. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Deerlands is purpose built and registered to provide accommodation and personal care for up to 40 older people. One corridor of the home is dedicated to supporting people living with dementia. The home is situated in the Parsons Cross area of Sheffield, close to local amenities and bus routes. All accommodation is based on the ground floor. All of the bedrooms are single and communal lounges and dining rooms are provided. The home has an enclosed garden. A car park is available.

At the last inspection, the service was rated Good. At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

People living at Deerlands told us they felt safe and they liked the staff. Relatives we spoke with felt their family member was in a safe place and did not have any concerns about their family member’s safety.

Regular checks of the building were carried out to keep people safe and the service well maintained.

Staff confirmed they had been provided with safeguarding vulnerable adults training so they had an understanding of their responsibilities to protect people from harm.

There were sufficient staff to meet people’s needs safely and effectively.

We found systems were in place to make sure people received their medicines safely.

Staff were provided with relevant training and supervision to make sure they had the right skills and knowledge to support people.

People were supported to have maximum 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.

People enjoyed the food provided and were supported to receive adequate food and drink to remain healthy.

We found the home was clean, bright and well maintained.

People had access to a range of health care professionals to help maintain their health.

People were treated with dignity and respect and their privacy was protected. People, their relatives and health professionals we spoke with made positive comments about the care provided by staff.

A range of activities were available both inside and outside the home to provide people with leisure opportunities.

People living at the home and their relatives said they could speak with staff if they had any worries or concerns and they would be listened to.

There were effective systems in place to monitor and improve the quality of the service provided. Regular checks and audits were undertaken to make sure full and safe procedures were adhered to.

Staff told us they felt they had a very good team. Staff, people living at Deerlands and relatives said the registered manager was approachable and communication was good within the service.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

Deerlands is purpose built and registered to provide accommodation and personal care for up to 40 older people. One corridor of the home is dedicated to supporting people living with dementia. The home is situated in the Parsons Cross area of Sheffield, close to local amenities and bus routes. All accommodation is based on the ground floor. All of the bedrooms are single and communal lounges and dining rooms are provided. The home has an enclosed garden. A car park is available.

There was a manager at the service who was registered with CQC. 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run. The registered manager was not present during this inspection. The deputy manager was available and in charge of the home at the time of our visit.

Our last inspection at Deerlands took place on 8 October 2013. The home was found to be meeting the requirements of the regulations we inspected at that time.

This inspection took place on 28 July 2015 and was unannounced. This means the provider did not know we were going to carry out the inspection. On the day of our inspection there were 37 people living at Deerlands.

People spoken with were positive about their experience of living at Deerlands. They told us they felt safe and staff were “smashing”. They told us they could talk to staff and if they had any worries or concerns they would be listened to. Comments included, “I am home here. I am very happy, clean, warm, well fed and amongst friends” and “We are all looked after, they [staff] are lovely.”

Relatives spoken with had no concerns regarding their loved ones care. They told us staff always kept them up to date with any news and they were always made to feel welcome at Deerlands.

One healthcare professional spoken with also made positive comments. They told us they had no concerns about Deerlands and it was “A good home.”

We found systems were in place to make sure people received their medicines safely.

Staff recruitment procedures were thorough and ensured people’s safety was promoted.

Staff were provided with relevant induction and training to make sure they had the right skills and knowledge for their role. Staff understood their role and what was expected of them. They were happy in their work, motivated and confident in the way the service was managed. The service followed the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) Code of practice and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). This helped to protect the rights of people who may not be able to make important decisions themselves.

People had access to a range of health care professionals to help maintain their health. A varied and nutritious diet was provided to people that took into account dietary needs and preferences so their health was promoted and choices could be respected.

People living at the home, and their relatives said they could speak with staff if they had any worries or concerns and they would be listened to.

We saw people participated in a range of daily activities both in and outside of the home which were meaningful and promoted independence.

There were effective systems in place to monitor and improve the quality of the service provided. Regular checks and audits were undertaken to make sure full and safe procedures were adhered to. People using the service and their relatives had been asked their opinion via surveys, the results of these had been audited to identify any areas for improvement any actions were addressed.

People living at Deerlands told us that they were happy and that they were satisfied with the care they received. They told us, "It's lovely here. Staff couldn't do any more for me. They're nice to us all and look after us all," "I am quite happy. We are all friends here. I have no regrets at all about coming here. The staff are wonderful" and "I can't think of any one thing to criticise. They [staff] are genuinely caring people. They know me well and give me the help I need."

We found that before people received any care or treatment they were asked for their consent and the staff acted in accordance with their wishes.

We found that people's care and welfare needs were assessed and each person had a written plan of care that set out their identified needs and the actions required of staff to meet these.

We found that there were systems in place to reduce the risk and spread of infection.

We saw that a satisfactory recruitment and selection procedure was in place to ensure that staff were appropriately employed.

We found that people were protected from the risks of unsafe or inappropriate care and treatment because accurate and appropriate records were maintained.

Some people living at the home were not able to fully communicate their views and experiences to us. Due to this we used a formal way to observe people at this inspection to help us understand how their needs were supported. We call this the 'Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI). During the observation we saw some examples of good communication skills by staff that utilised eye contact and touch to engage people.

People that we could communicate with told us that they were happy and that they were satisfied with the care they received. They told us, “it is very good here. The staff are always friendly" and "the staff are smashing."

Two relatives spoken with confirmed that they were satisfied with the care provided.

We found that people's care and welfare needs were assessed and each person had a written plan of care that set out their identified needs and the actions required of staff to meet these.

We found that safe systems were in place for the receipt, handling and administration of medication so that people's health was promoted and they were kept safe.

We found that sufficient numbers of staff were provided to meet people's needs.

We found that procedures were in place to audit and monitor systems within the home.

We found that a complaints policy and procedure was in place. People had been provided with information on how to make a complaint. All of the people spoken with said they had no complaints or concerns about the home.

People told us that they were happy living at the home and that they were satisfied with the care they received. They told us “It’s smashing here.” and “The staff are lovely.” They told us that their health and personal care needs were met and that they felt safe at the home. We also spoke with one relative who was visiting the home and they confirmed that they were satisfied with the care provided. They told us “I have no worries or concerns about the home.”