This inspection took place on 19 December 2018 was unannounced. There were no concerns at the last inspection of April 2016. Gwendoline House provides accommodation for up to 16 older people. At the time of our visit there were 16 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.

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.

Why the service is rated good.

People continued to receive a service that was safe. The registered manager and staff understood their role and responsibilities to keep people safe from harm. People were supported to take risks, promote their independence and follow their interests. Risks were assessed and plans put in place to keep people safe. There was enough staff to safely provide care and support to people. Checks were carried out on staff before they started work to assess their suitability to support vulnerable people. Medicines were well managed and people received their medicines as prescribed. The home was clean and staff followed the providers infection control policy and procedures.

The service remained effective in meeting people’s needs. Staff received regular supervision and the training needed to meet people’s needs. Arrangements were made for people to see a GP and other healthcare professionals when they needed to do so. The registered manager and staff understood the principles of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005 and, worked to ensure people's rights were respected. People were supported to enjoy a healthy, nutritious, balanced diet whilst promoting and respecting choice.

Staff provided a caring service to people and respected and promoted their dignity. People received a service that was based on their personal needs and wishes. Changes in people’s needs were quickly identified and their care amended to meet their changing needs. The service was flexible and responded very positively to people’s requests. People who used the service felt able to make requests and express their opinions and views.

People benefitted from a service that was well led. The vision, values and culture of the service were clearly communicated to and understood by staff. The registered manager demonstrated a good understanding of the importance of effective quality assurance systems. There were processes in place to monitor quality and understand the experiences of people who used the service.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

This inspection took place on 28 April 2016 and was unannounced. There were no concerns at the last inspection of July 2013. Gwendoline House provides accommodation for up to 18 older people. At the time of our visit there were 16 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. The deputy manager was currently completing a level five qualification in management and preparing them to take over the full management of Gwendoline House in the future.

People were ‘very happy’ living at the home and we received positive comments about their views and experiences throughout our visit. Healthwatch wrote in their recent enter and view report, “We found a warm, friendly home with a very strong family atmosphere. There was much to commend. All comments from residents were positive and staff were friendly and very professional in their manner. Residents appeared relaxed and happy. There appeared to be a lot of mutual respect between staff and residents”.

There were no visitors present during our visit. However we read some recent written compliments the home had received from family members. Comments included, “Gwendoline House has been part of our lives, we have always enjoyed our visits and you make us feel so welcome”, “Your carers are so kind and caring to the residents, everyone always seem so happy” and “Thank you very much for your loving care you all do a wonderful job”.

Staff wanted to keep people safe and protect them from avoidable harm. The registered manager listened to people and staff to ensure there were enough staff to meet people's needs. They demonstrated their responsibilities in recognising changing circumstances within the service to help ensure that staffing levels and skill mix was effective.

Staff had the knowledge and skills they needed to carry out their roles effectively. They enjoyed attending training sessions and sharing what they had learnt with colleagues. The provider, registered manager and deputy supported staff at all times.

The registered manager and deputy understood their responsibility to comply with the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS).

People were supported to enjoy a healthy, nutritious, balanced diet whilst promoting and respecting choice. Staff had a good awareness of people’s needs and treated them in a warm and respectful manner. The registered manager and staff were knowledgeable about people's lives before they started using the service. Every effort was made to enhance this knowledge so that their life experiences remained meaningful.

People received appropriate care and support because there were effective systems in place to assess, plan, implement, monitor and evaluate people's needs. People were involved throughout these processes. This ensured their needs were clearly identified and the support they received was meaningful and personalised. Regular monitoring and reviews meant that referrals had been made to appropriate health and social care professionals. People experienced a lifestyle which met their individual expectations, capacity and preferences.

Peoples, relatives and staff feedback was a vital part of the quality assurance system either through annual surveys, ‘residents’ meetings and care reviews. They were listened to and action was taken to make improvements to their quality of life. The registered manager monitored and audited the quality of care provided striving to meet the ever changing needs of people living in the home.

We were greeted by staff in a warm, friendly, professional manner. The provider, manager and staff were available throughout the day and everyone was knowledgeable about people in their care, the policies, procedures and systems in place to ensure the continued smooth running of the home. Everyone had people's best interests at the centre of their care.

People shared with us their experiences about living in the home and we spoke with two people at length. Everyone expressed positive comments. We also looked at surveys that had been completed by people this year. These were by people that lived in the home, relatives, staff, and visiting health and social care professionals.

We spent time in various parts of the home, including communal areas, individual bedrooms and the gardens so that we could observe the direct care, attention and support that people who lived at the home received. There was a constant interaction between staff and people in the home. People were relaxed, happy and comfortable in each other's company.

It was a positive inspection and the provider was compliant in all six outcomes that we looked at.

The manager was not on duty on the day of our visit. We were assisted during the inspection by the homes ‘matron’ and a senior carer. We found that there were positive outcomes for people that used the service. Staff told us that they were ‘very happy’ working in the home and ‘proud to be a part of it’.

There was positive interaction between staff and people in the home; everyone was relaxed, happy and comfortable in each other's company. We were introduced to people throughout the day and they welcomed us to their home. They talked freely with staff in front of us and people were confident and assertive in their surroundings.

People looked well and were happy when we visited. People were spending time in the lounge with visitors, some were enjoying the privacy of being in their own rooms and people were walking freely around parts of the home and the garden.

We spent time in various parts of the home, including communal areas and individual bedrooms so that we could observe the direct care, attention and support that people who lived at the home received.

Comments received from people in a recent survey included, “The atmosphere, care and professionalism is an all round high standard”, We really cannot suggest anything you could do better” and “The care and understanding by the staff has always been excellent”.

People who spoke with us were able to discuss their life at the home and what they enjoyed about living there.

People said that they appreciate having their own rooms, and being able to choose how they are decorated. One person told us "I chose the things I like to have in my room”.

One person told us" I choose what I do during the day. There are lots of activities here. I like the keep fit and the quizzes ".

People told us that they liked living at the home. One person said "It's a lovely home".

We read that a visiting professional described the service as "exceptional".

A visiting relative told us "I see lots of staff on duty when I'm here and I visit at lots of different times of day. They are all really caring and professional".

Two people who use the service told us that they felt safe at the home and that staff are "very kind ".

People told us that the food was "tasty" and that there was plenty to eat at times that suited them. One person said "the food is lovely here".

People told us that there was assistance for them to maintain their personal hygiene if required and that their privacy and dignity was respected. One person said "I know I can talk to the staff about anything. They really listen to me ".