We inspected Fairdene Lodge on the 26 January 2016. Fairdene Lodge is a care home registered to provide support for older people who may have dementia and require personal care. The home is registered to support a maximum of thirty-two service users. The home is located in Hove, East Sussex in a residential area. There were 30 people living at the service on the day of our inspections. Fairdene Lodge was previously inspected on 18 October 2013 and no concerns were identified.

A registered manager was 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People were happy and relaxed with staff. They said they felt safe and there were sufficient staff to support them. One person told us, “I think we are all safe here, we are very happy”. When staff were recruited, their employment history was checked and references obtained. Checks were also undertaken to ensure new staff were safe to work within the care sector. Staff were knowledgeable and trained in safeguarding adults and what action they should take if they suspected abuse was taking place.

Medicines were managed safely and in accordance with current regulations and guidance. There were systems in place to ensure that medicines had been stored, administered, audited and reviewed appropriately.

People were being supported to make decisions in their best interests. The registered manager and staff had received training in the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS).

Accidents and incidents were recorded appropriately and steps taken to minimise the risk of similar events happening in the future. Risks associated with the environment and equipment had been identified and managed. Emergency procedures were in place in the event of fire and people knew what to do, as did the staff.

Staff had received essential training and there were opportunities for additional training specific to the needs of the service, including the care of people with dementia and managing behaviour that may challenge others. Staff had received both one-to-one and group supervision meetings with their manager, and formal personal development plans, such as annual appraisals were in place. One member of staff told us, “We discuss training at supervision and in appraisal. The manager always encourages us to go on courses, and then asks us what they were like, what did we learn and what learning we can share with others”.

People were encouraged and supported to eat and drink well. There was a varied daily choice of meals and people were able to give feedback and have choice in what they ate and drank. One person told us, “The food is nice, there’s lots of choice”. Special dietary requirements were met, and people’s weight was monitored, with their permission. Health care was accessible for people and appointments were made for regular check-ups as needed.

People chose how to spend their day and they took part in activities in the service and the community. People told us they enjoyed the activities, which included quizzes, singing, exercises, films, arts and crafts and themed events, such as reminiscence sessions. One person told us, “I don’t get bored, there’s plenty to do. We have a laugh”. People were also encouraged to stay in touch with their families and receive visitors.

People felt well looked after and supported. We observed friendly and genuine relationships had developed between people and staff. One person told us, “The staff are very caring and nice”. Care plans described people’s needs and preferences and they were encouraged to be as independent as possible.

People were encouraged to express their views and had completed surveys. Feedback received showed peo

In this report the name of a registered manager appears who was not in post and not managing the regulatory activities at this location at the time of the inspection. Their name appears because they were still a Registered Manager on our register at the time.

During our visit to Fairdene Lodge we spoke with people who lived at the service and staff members. The people we spoke to told us they were happy with the care they received. One person told us "the staff here are lovely," another person told us "I enjoy the food and they are very kind here."

Our visit was facilitated by the manager who had submitted an application to be the registered manager for the home. We looked at supporting care documentation and staff documentation. We saw that people's care needs had been assessed and that care had been planned and delivered in line with their individual care plan.

Thirty-one people were resident at the time of our visit. We saw that people's care was supported by workers who understood the care needs of the people living at Fairdene Lodge and that those workers had received the training required for them to carry out the duties of their role.

We spoke with five people individually who used the service and a number of other people who were sitting in communal areas. We spoke with three members of staff individually. One staff member told us "It is a happy place to work with good communication and we can give good care."

During our visit we spoke with people who lived at the service, a visiting professional and staff members.

We also took information from other sources to help us understand the views of people living at the home to include surveys.

The people we spoke with told us they were happy with the care they received and with the staff team.

Staff we spoke with knew the people living at the home well and had a good understanding of their support needs.

People’s relatives told us that they were happy with the care their family members were receiving. They told us the home kept them informed and that people liked the activities in particular the singing which they felt people thoroughly enjoyed. Comments on surveys the home had sent out to relatives included:

‘Warm and homely’

‘comfortable & friendly atmosphere’

‘Staff do a difficult job’

‘Staff cheerful & Welcoming’

‘Happy on the whole’