This inspection took place on the 21 December 2015. Grosvenor Lodge was last inspected on 4 June 2014 and no concerns were identified. Grosvenor Lodge is located in Hove. It provides accommodation with personal care and support for up to 31 older people, some of whom were living with varying stages of dementia, along with healthcare needs such as diabetes and sensory impairment. Accommodation was arranged over three floors. On the day of our inspection, there were 28 people living at the service.

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 were happy and relaxed with staff. They said they felt safe and there were sufficient staff to support them. One person told us, “I feel safe living here”. 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 diabetes management and the care of people with dementia. 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, “If the manager thinks it will help us, the training will be there”.

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, “They give us two options, but if we don’t like either of those, we can ask for something else”. 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 singing, exercises, films, arts and crafts and themed events, such as reminiscence sessions. One person told us, “They do activities. We’ve been making things like decorations. They do sing songs and we’ve been singing Christmas carols. I’ve made friends here”. 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 kind”. 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 people were satisfied overall, and felt staff were friendly and helpful. People also said they felt listened to and any concerns or issues they raised were addressed.

Staff were asked for their opinions on the service and whether they were happy in their work. They felt supported within their roles, describing an ‘open door’ management approach, where managers were always available to discuss suggestions and address problems or concerns. The provider undertook quality assurance reviews to measure and monitor the standard of the service and drive improvement.

People living at the home we spoke with told us they were happy with the care they received and told us that they liked the staff team.

One service user told us “I’m very happy to be here, the care is good.” Another service user said “I get on with the staff,” and, “I think they’re pretty good.” A third service user we spoke with said “I love it here.”

A family member told us “Staff are friendly and helpful. The care is personalised and it is ‘caring’ care. The manager is good and there is a real relationship between the staff and my relative.”

A visiting local authority care manager told us that the service user they were reviewing six weeks after arriving at the home had “really settled in well,” and that the home had a “stable core team and feels like a family.”

During our visit we spoke with people who lived at the service, relatives 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.