Delrose House is a ‘care home’ for six men with mental health needs. Delrose House supports people with their personal care needs and accompanies people to activities and appointments on their request. 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. The service supports people with all aspects of personal care and day to day living activities.

At our last inspection on 26 May 2015 we rated the service good.

At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and on-going monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

People were protected from abuse. Staff had received safeguarding training and understood their responsibilities to report any concerns. People's medicines were managed safely by staff who had been trained and assessed as competent in administering medicines. People received their medicines as prescribed. Sufficient staff were deployed to meet people's needs and keep them safe. Robust recruitment procedures ensured only suitable staff were employed. We looked around the premises and found it had been maintained, was clean and hygienic and a safe place

for people to live.

We observed during the inspection visit friendly interactions between the owner and people who lived at the home. We saw that care workers and the registered manager related well with people they supported and cared for. 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 who lived at Delrose House said meals were of a good standard. They said alternatives were available if they did not like what was being offered. People had access to healthcare professionals and records were kept of outcomes of visits and what action was taken to meet their healthcare needs.

People were cared for by an enthusiastic staff team, who spoke highly of people and told us they enjoyed working at Delrose House. People said that staff were kind and they were treated with dignity and respect.

Care staff were familiar with what support and care people who lived at the home required. People were supported to lead full and varied lives and were supported to form relationships within the local community. One person who lived at the home said, "I can meet friends if I want to.” Another person said, “I regularly visit my relatives.” The service had a complaints procedure which was made available to people on their admission to the home and their relatives. The people we spoke with told us they were happy with the service and had no complaints.

People and visitors told us that the service was well managed. The provider had a quality assurance system in place which enabled them to monitor the quality of care provided to people and drive improvement. There was a person-centred culture within the service.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

People expressed their views and were involved in making decisions about their care and treatment. We saw people had signed their plans, consenting to receive the care and treatment they required. One person said “they are top class here. They can’t do enough for us. It is really home from home for me.” Another person told us “they are really good here, I have no complaints, it’s just home for me.”

Care and treatment was planned and delivered in a way that ensured people's safety and welfare. We observed members of staff speaking to people politely and encouraged social conversations. People spoke positively about the staff team. One person said “we are well looked after.”

Health professionals such as the psychiatrist, optical, dental and chiropody services saw people regularly to ensure their health care needs were met.

People who used the service were protected from the risk of abuse, because the provider had taken reasonable steps to identify the possibility of abuse and prevent abuse from happening.

Staff received appropriate professional development. There was a training programme in place for all staff. Staff were provided with the skills and knowledge to provide a safe and effective service.

The provider took account of complaints and comments to improve the service. Surveys were completed on an annual basis with people using the service. The last survey was completed in November 2013. Comments included, “Delrose House takes good care of my brother very well and I am grateful to them, as he has improved a lot since he went there,” and “I have found Delrose House staff very helpful and compassionate. I am so grateful that my son has been given the support to help him in all areas of his life.”

Policies and procedures and staff records were kept in a lockable cabinet in the staff office which was also kept locked when not in use. This meant records were kept safe and confidential.

We carried out a visit on 14 February 2013. We looked at the personal care or treatment records of people who use the service, observed how people were being cared for and talked with people who use the service. We talked with carers and / or family members, and talked with staff and relevant professionals.

People we spoke with made positive comments about the staff group saying that they were "happy" and "well looked after". Other people we spoke to said that they had no concerns or complaints about the standard of care and said that communication was appropriate and timely. Other health and social care professionals we spoke with made positive comments about the staff and commented that the staff at Delrose House contributed appropriately to the multi disciplinary processes.

One person told us “I'm very happy here. I like it a lot. I'm looked after very well”. Another person stated “We get along here, we have a good time. I wish every home could run like this”. The premises were described as being “Nice and clean, they clean the home properly”. We were told that staff support people in accordance to individual needs and wishes, such as assistance to arrange attendances at Premier League football matches and shopping trips for buying new clothes.

This inspection took place on 26 May 2015 and was unannounced. At our last inspection in December 2013 we found the provider was meeting the regulations we inspected.

Delrose House provides personal care and accommodation for up to six adults with mental health needs.

There was a registered manager in place. 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 service had policies and procedures in relation to the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) and staff understood when an application should be made, and how to submit one. Before people received any care or support they were routinely asked for their consent.

The staff were aware of their responsibilities to ensure that people were protected from the risk or potential risk of harm. Potential risks were assessed and steps taken to reduce them so that people remained safe and well without being restricted.

The service had suitable arrangements to protect people against the risks associated with the unsafe management of medicines, which included the obtaining, recording, administering, safe keeping and disposal of medication.

People were supported by enough staff and we saw checks had been carried out on staff before they started to work to make sure they were suitable to work with people using the service.

People and relatives we spoke with told us they were satisfied with the care and support provided by staff who worked at the service. People’s needs were assessed and care and support was planned and delivered in line with their individual care plan.

People were able to express their views and were involved in making decisions about their care and were supported in promoting their independence and community involvement. Staff understood the need to respect people's privacy and dignity.

The management team welcomed suggestions on how they can develop the services and make improvements. Where shortfalls or concerns were raised these were addressed. The provider took account of complaints and comments to improve the service.