Don Thomson House is a 'care home'. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and personal care as a single package under a contractual agreement with the local authority, health authority or the individual, if privately funded. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Don Thomson House accommodates a maximum of 28 older people, including people who live with dementia or a dementia related condition, in one purpose built building in its own grounds. Don Thomson House is a large detached property situated in a residential area of Dovercourt, Harwich and is close to all amenities and the seafront. The premises is set out on two floors with each person using the service having their own individual bedroom and adequate communal facilities are

available for people to make use of within the service. At the time of our inspection, 25 people were using the service.

At the last inspection on 29 September 2015, the service was rated 'Good'. At this inspection, we found the service remained 'Good'.

A registered manager was in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) 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.

Staff were clear about their role on protecting people from the risk of harm and understood their responsibilities to raise concerns. Individual risks to people and environmental risks were identified and minimised to maintain people's safety.

Systems were in place to prevent and control the risk of infection.

People were protected against the risk of abuse, as checks were made to confirm staff were of good character, and there were sufficient staff available to support them. The skill mix of staff ensured people's needs were met.

Medicines were managed safely and people were supported as needed to take their

medicine as prescribed and access healthcare services.

People were consulted regarding their preferences and interests and these were incorporated into their care plan to promote individualised care. The staff team knew people well and were provided with the right training and support to enable them to meet people's needs.

People were supported with their dietary needs and to access healthcare services to maintain good health.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff understood the importance of gaining people's consent regarding the support they received. The policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

People were supported to develop and maintain interests and be part of the local community. The registered manager actively sought and included people and their representatives in the planning of care.

There were processes in place for people to raise any complaints and express their views and opinions about the service provided. A positive culture was in place that promoted good outcomes for people. People and their relatives were involved in developing the service; which promoted an open and inclusive culture.

The provider, registered manager and staff understood their legal responsibilities and kept up to date with relevant changes. There were systems in place to monitor the quality of the service to enable the registered manager and provider to drive improvement.

Don Thompson House provides care for up to 28 older people who may be elderly and or have a physical disability. Some people are living with dementia. There were 22 people living in the service, when we carried out an unannounced inspection on 29 September 2015.

There was a 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.

People we spoke with including their relatives and visitors were complimentary about the service. They told us they received safe and effective care by staff who were attentive and kind. One person said, “I think this is the best home in the area. Staff are really good. People are treated with respect and made to feel like we matter.”

Procedures were in place which safeguarded the people who used the service from the potential risk of abuse. Staff understood the various types of abuse and knew who to report any concerns to.

Staff understood how to minimise risks and provide people with safe care. Procedures and processes were in place to guide staff on how to ensure the safety of the people who used the service. These included checks on the environment and risk assessments which identified how risks to people were minimised.

There were sufficient numbers of staff who had been recruited safely and who had the skills and knowledge to provide care and support to people in the way they preferred. People were treated with kindness by the staff. Staff respected people’s privacy and dignity and interacted with people in a caring and compassionate manner.

Appropriate arrangements were in place to ensure people’s medicines were obtained, stored and administered safely. People were encouraged to attend appointments with other health care professionals to maintain their health and well-being.

The atmosphere in the service was friendly and welcoming. People received care that was personalised to them and met their needs and wishes. Staff listened to people and acted on what they said.

Care and support provided was individual and based on the assessed needs of each person. People’s care records contained information about how they communicated, what was important to them and their ability to make decisions.

People or their representatives were supported to make decisions about how they led their lives and wanted to be supported. Where they lacked capacity, appropriate actions had been taken to ensure decisions were made in the person’s best interests. The service was up to date with changes regarding the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS).

Staff supported people to be independent and to meet their individual needs and aspirations. People were encouraged to pursue their hobbies and interests and participated in a variety of personalised meaningful activities.

People’s nutritional needs were being assessed and they were supported to eat and drink sufficiently. People were encouraged to be as independent as possible but where additional support was needed this was provided in a caring and respectful manner.

There was an open and transparent culture in the service. Staff were passionate about their work and they understood their roles and responsibilities. The management team demonstrated good leadership skills and staff said they felt valued and supported.

There was a complaints procedure in place and people knew how to voice their concerns if they were unhappy with the service. Systems were in place that encouraged feedback from people who used the service, relatives, and visiting professionals and this was used to make continual improvements to the service.

We saw that people living in Don Thomson House appeared happy and enjoyed social conversations with staff and others living in the home. A relative told us they were happy with the standard of care.

Staff received training to make sure they had the skills and knowledge to meet people’s needs. We saw that staff showed a good understanding of people’s individual preferences and treated them with respect; this ensured that the care and support people received was safe and caring.

The service responded to people’s health needs and ensured they were supported to access health professionals promptly when needed.

The home was well managed and there were effective processes in place to monitor the quality of the service. They consulted with people and took their views into account to make improvements.

People told us what it was like to live at this home and described how they were treated by staff and their involvement in making choices about their care. They also told us about the quality and choice of food and drink available. This was because this inspection was part of a themed inspection programme to assess whether older people living in care homes are treated with dignity and respect and whether their nutritional needs are met.

The inspection team was led by a CQC inspector joined by an 'expert by experience', a person who has experience of using services and who can provide that perspective.

We used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI). SOFI is a specific way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us.

Those people with whom we spoke confirmed that they felt respected and involved by staff. People also reported that they felt happy in the home and if they had any concerns felt able to discuss these with staff.

People with whom we spoke confirmed that they were satisfied with the care and attention provided by staff. Two people said that they enjoyed their trips out and others commented positively about the individual kindness of staff and the range of activities available in the home.