Halstead Hall is registered to provide accommodation and personal care for up to 65 older people and people with dementia related needs. There were 24 people living at the service on the day of our inspection.

This was the first comprehensive inspection of this service with the new owners, Stow Healthcare Group Limited and was undertaken on 3 December 2018. The service was previously known as Attwood’s Manor Care Home and had a history of providing poor care, the Care Quality Commission took enforcement action against the previous providers. Stow Healthcare Group Limited, the new provider took over the management of the service approximately one year ago and their registration meant that people were able to stay in the service and did not have to move out.

This inspection on 03 December 2018 was unannounced and we planned to check on the changes that the new provider had made. We found they had invested in the service and in the staff. There was a strong ethos of personalised care and people were enabled to live full and interesting lives. The service and the people living in the service now benefited from outstanding leadership.

A registered manager was in place and was present on the day of the inspection. 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.

Risks were identified and managed. The new provider had overseen improvements to the health and safety of the service and equipment was serviced and checked to ensure it was safe to use. The service was clean. Some work had been undertaken to improve the environment and the communal areas looked welcoming and comfortable. People’s rooms were almost all in the newer part of the building and there were plans in place to further adapt the building and facilities to the benefit of people living in the service.

Incidents and accidents were reviewed, and the information used to develop practice and improve the care provided.

There were sufficient staff available to support people. Staffing levels were continually reviewed to ensure that there were enough staff to meet people’s needs. Arrangements were in place to check on staff suitability as part of the recruitment process.

Staff knew people well and were knowledgeable about their needs. They had embraced the training from the new provider and strived to improve the quality of care. Competency assessments were undertaken to check on staff’s understanding and ensure that they were putting what they had learnt into practice. Safeguarding was understood by staff and the procedure followed when concerns were raised. Peoples medicines were safely managed.

People liked the food and we saw that this was a strength of the service. The cook prepared meals from fresh ingredients including some which they had grown in the services garden. The cook knew the people living in the service and ran a weekly cookery club to help people engage with food and use their skills. People’s nutritional needs were assessed, and people provided with homemade smoothies and snacks which had eradicated the need for prescribed supplements.

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.

People told us that staff were kind and motivated to provide compassionate care. There was a clear emphasis on respect and dignity. Staff understood the importance of people maintaining their independence and the beneficial impact this had on their wellbeing.

People received high quality person centred care. Staff were attentive and made efforts to ensure that people maintained their interests. Staff went the extra mile to ensure th