About the service: Elmhurst Nursing Home provides accommodation and personal care for a maximum of 33 older people, including people who live with dementia or associated conditions. The service accommodated 22 people at the time of the inspection.

People’s experience of using this service: People were safe and they told us staff were approachable. There were enough staff on duty to provide safe care to people. Staff knew about safeguarding procedures. Staff were subject to robust recruitment checks. Arrangements for managing people’s medicines were safe.

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. However, we have made a recommendation about following best practice guidelines for medicines management and best interest decision making, where people do not have mental capacity.

People were cared for by staff who were kind and compassionate. The atmosphere within the home was friendly and welcoming. People and their relatives were involved and supported in decision making. People's privacy was respected and their dignity maintained.

The home was being refurbished and people were very positive about the changes taking place. People’s and staff comments included, “It’s like a hotel”, “It’s a pleasure to work here” and “I love coming to work.” There was a good standard of hygiene.

Staff had a good understanding and knowledge of people’s care and support needs. They received the training and support they needed. People were supported to access health care professionals when required.

Risk assessments were in place which identified current risks to people as well as way to reduce those risks. There was an open culture of learning when things go wrong. Staff worked well with other agencies to ensure people received appropriate care.

Activities and entertainment were available to keep people engaged and stimulated. People's views and concerns were listened to and action was taken to improve the service.

The registered manager monitored the quality of the service through audits and feedback received from people, their relatives, staff and external agencies.

Why we inspected: This was the first inspection of the service since it was registered in September 2017. This was a planned comprehensive inspection.

Follow up: We did not identify any concerns at this inspection. We will therefore re-inspect this service within the published timeframe for services rated good. We will continue to monitor the service through the information we receive.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk