Hartismere Place provides accommodation and nursing care for up to 60 people. It also provides Rehabilitation services. (The purpose of rehabilitation is to help people who have experienced deterioration in their health, and have increased support needs to relearn the skills required to keep them safe and independent at home.)

The service is divided into four units; Beech and Oak (on the ground floor) and Willow and Ash (on the first floor). When we inspected on 21 March 2017 there were 44 people using the service. This was an unannounced inspection

There was not 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 registered provider had ensured there was a covering manager in place whilst a new permanent registered manager was recruited.

People’s care plans reflected people’s individual care and support needs. Further work was needed to ensure people’s views and wishes in relation to their ‘end of life’ preferences were recorded. Information on people’s life history was not consistent across the service, but the management team were aware and were taking action to address this.

Procedures were in place which safeguarded the people who used the service from the potential risk of abuse. Staff understood the various types of abuse and knew who to report any concerns to.

Safe recruitment procedures were in place, and staff had undergone recruitment checks before they started work to ensure they were suitable for the role.

Risks to people using the service were assessed reviewed, recorded and managed appropriately. Detailed risk assessments were in place for people using the service.

There was adequate servicing and maintenance checks to equipment and systems in the home to ensure people's safety.

We saw friendly and caring interactions between staff and people. People received care that respected their privacy and dignity and promoted their independence.

The service was meeting the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). Staff understood the need to obtain consent when providing care. 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.

Appropriate arrangements were in place to ensure people’s medicines were obtained, stored and administered safely. People were referred to other health care professionals to maintain their health and well-being.

An appropriate complaints procedure was in place. Complaints were responded to promptly. The covering manager and deputy manager were seen to be accessible to people.

There were processes to monitor the quality and safety of the service provided and to understand the experiences of people who lived at the service.