This inspection took place on 06 April 2018 and was unannounced.

At our last inspection 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 ongoing 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.

At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

Eversfield is a residential home providing care and support to up to 36 older people. Some people at the home were living with dementia. At the time of our inspection, there were 32 people living at the home.

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.

Risks to people were routinely assessed with clear plans to keep people safe. Where incidents had occurred, staff responded appropriately and the provider analysed incidents. Staff understood their roles in safeguarding people from abuse. People's medicines were managed and administered safely. The provider had robust systems in place to reduce the risk of infection. There were enough staff to safely meet people's needs. The provider had carried out appropriate checks on staff to ensure that they were suitable for their roles.

People were supported to access the healthcare they needed and staff worked alongside relevant agencies to meet people's health needs. People received a thorough assessment before coming to live at the home and individual needs and choices were documented and met. People told us they enjoyed the food and it met their dietary needs. People were supported by staff that had received appropriate training to carry out their roles with confidence. The building was adapted to meet people’s needs.

People were supported by kind and caring staff that they got on well with. People were routinely involved in their care and staff offered people choices each day. People's privacy and dignity was respected by staff. People's cultural, spiritual and religious needs were catered for with access and links to a local church. Visitors were welcomed and encouraged to become involved in the care home through activities and care.

People had access to a range of activities' that reflected their interests. People's care was planned in a person-centred way. People's wishes regarding end of life care were documented. People were informed about how to raise a complaint and the provider regularly asked people for feedback.

Regular audits were undertaken to measure the quality of the care that people received. The provider regularly implemented improvements to the service. There was clear leadership at the home and staff told us that they felt supported by management. The provider had developed links with local organisations and agencies and people benefitted from these.

Eversfield Care home is located in Reigate Surrey. The service provides care and accommodation for up to 36 older people. There were 31 people living at he service on the day of our inspection. Bedroom accommodation is arranged over three floors. Two passenger lifts provide access to both floors. Bedrooms are single occupancy and have en suite facilities. There is a large landscaped garden to the rear of the service and a car park is provided at the front of the service. Eversfield is owned and managed by Elizabeth Finn Homes Limited.

This inspection took place on 21 October 2015 and was unannounced.

The home was run by a registered manager, who was present on the day of the inspection visit. ‘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.

Risk assessments were in place for identified risks. Risks were well managed and reviewed and updated on a regular basis. These had been reflected in people’s care plans.

Staff had received training in safeguarding adults and were able to evidence to us they knew the procedures to follow should they have any concerns. One staff member said they would report any concerns to the registered manager. The staff we spoke to knew of types of the different abuse and where to find contact numbers for the local safeguarding team if they needed to raise concerns.

There were sufficient numbers of staff who were appropriately trained to meet the needs of the people who lived at the service. Staff had the appropriate and up to date skills and guidance in relation to their role.

Procedures were in place for medicine administration. People received their medicine as prescribed. All medicines were administered and disposed of in a safe way.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) monitors the operation of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) which applies to care homes. These safeguards protect the rights of people by ensuring if there are any restrictions to their freedom and liberty, these have been authorised by the local authority as being required to protect the person from harm. Capacity assessments had undertaken for people in accordance with the Mental Capacity Act 2008 code of conduct. Staff asked people for their consent brfore providing their care.

People were encouraged and supported to be involved in their care. People’s bedrooms had been decorated to a good standard and were personalised with their own possessions.

People had access to a range of health care professionals, such as the GP, district nurse, dentist and opticians.

People told us the food was very good and there was lots of choice. We saw people had access to drinks and snacks at any time during the day or night.

People were treated with kindness, compassion and respect, and their privacy and dignity was respected at all times.

People had individual care plans. They were detailed and updated regularly. We saw staff had the most up to date and appropriate information to enable them to respond to people effectively.

The registered manager operated an open door policy and we saw several examples of this throughout the day when staff, relatives and people who used the service sought their support and advice.

People were aware of the complaint procedures and told us they would know how to make a complaint.

The registered manager had maintained accurate, complete and detailed records in respect of people and records relating to the overall management of the service.

The service had systems in place to record and monitor the quality of the service provided.

Accidents and incidents were recorded and acted upon.

Staff were aware of the home’s contingency plan, if events occurred that stopped the service running. They explained actions that they would take in any event to keep people safe. The premises provided were safe to use for their intended purpose.

On the day of our inspection 33 people were living at Eversfield. We spoke with seven people who used the service about the care and support they received. We also spoke with the Registered Manager, Head of Care and four care staff about the service provided at the home and their roles and responsibilities.

People told us they were "Delighted" to be living at Eversfield and felt they received an extremely high standard of care. One person said "We are all so well looked after here". People told us the food was "Excellent" and one person described it as "Gourmet".

We carried out this inspection due to a concern raised about the response for people following incidents. We found that the service was generally responsive to people's needs and that emergency appointments, for example GP appointments, had been arranged. One person said "If I ever need to see a GP or go to hospital then the staff arrange it quickly for me".

People spoke highly of staff and said they felt "Safe" in the home. Staff we spoke with demonstrated a good understanding of their roles and responsibilities with regards to safeguarding vulnerable adults. They told us that if they had any concerns then they would report these to the Registered Manager for the appropriate action to be taken.

We found that the service had completed the appropriate recruitment checks to ensure that only staff who were suitable to work with vulnerable people had been employed by the service.

The service had good quality assurance processes in place to continually monitor the quality of care provided in the home.

During our inspection of Eversfield we found that care workers had formed close professional relationships with people living in the home. The premises were clean and well maintained and the atmosphere was relaxed and homely.

An anonymous whistleblower had contacted the Care Quality Commission to raise concerns that food was of a poor quality. We spoke to staff and people who used the service. We were told that a new chef had started at the home and the food had improved dramatically. We spoke with colleagues from Reigate and Banstead Borough Council food and safety team who had also recently inspected the location and had requested a number of small improvements be made in relation to stock rotation. We saw that food was in date and the chef had implemented new systems to ensure that food was fresh and stored correctly.

We found that systems for consultation, interaction and communication were effective and people were treated with respect and dignity.

Positive comments received from people living in the home and their relatives indicated a high level of satisfaction with the home and the services provided:

"I have lived at Eversfield for over a year now and I am so happy. The staff are lovely and cannot do enough for you".

"If you had been here three months ago the only thing I would have complained about was the food, but now that they have a new chef, the food is wonderful and I really enjoy living here".

People using the service said that they were treated with kindness and respect by the staff and were routinely involved in the way their care was organised. Some individuals spoke about the numerous activities arranged by the home that that they could join in with, but said that they also valued the opportunity to be private if they wished. People who use the service are offered a varied, nutritious and well balanced diet in an attractive and well equipped dining room. One person said, “They make the best Sunday roast ever!” People spoken with said they felt safe and secure at Eversfield, and knew who to speak to if they had any concerns. One person said that they regularly attended residents meetings where they were asked if they were satisfied with the service, or if they felt any changes needed to happen. The person spoken with felt confident that their views were listened to and acted upon wherever possible. They said, “I like to keep the management on their toes.”