About the service:

Highfield Residential Home provides accommodation and personal care for up to 26 people over 65.

At the time of our inspection, there were 23 people living at the service.

People’s experience of using this service:

• People enjoyed the atmosphere at the service, they told us it felt homely and staff were caring and helpful.

• People enjoyed their mealtimes, they told us the food was good quality and they always had choice. People’s dietary requirements were recorded clearly and consistently met.

• People were cared for by staff who knew their life history and what was important to them.

• People were supported to access healthcare services when needed. Staff identified concerns and referred people promptly.

• People had access to a range of activities, further work was being completed by the registered manager to personalise the activities available.

• The registered manager had a visible presence in the home, staff felt well supported by management and people knew how to raise concerns if needed.

• We made recommendations about the management of some risks to people and the storage of medicines.

More information is in the full report.

Rating at last inspection:

At the last inspection, the service was rated Good (Previous report published 29 November 2016).

Why we inspected:

This was a planned inspection based on the rating at the last inspection

Follow up:

We will continue to monitor this service to ensure people receive high quality care.

Highfield Residential Home provides accommodation and personal care for up to 26 older people some of who are living with dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 20 people living at the Home.

The inspection took place on the 28 September and 3 October 2016. The first day of the inspection was unannounced. This was the first comprehensive inspection since the Home registered under a new provider in September 2014.

The service had a registered manager in post at the home. 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 and relatives spoke positively about the care and support they received. Staff showed concern for people’s well-being in a caring and considerate way, and they responded to their needs quickly.

People were treated with dignity and their right to privacy was respected. Staff knocked on people’s doors before entering and sought people’s permission before undertaking any care tasks. We found staff had a good understanding of people’s needs, interests, likes and dislikes. We observed a range of positive and caring interactions during our inspection, with people using the service not hesitating to seek assistance where required and sharing jokes with staff.

People spoke positively about the food choices and were supported to have sufficient food and fluids. People were offered a choice at meal times and where people did not want what was on the menu alternatives were available.

People’s medicines were managed safely. Systems in place ensured that people received the medicines as prescribed and at the correct time.

There were systems in place which encouraged people and their relatives to share their views on the service. Complaints were investigated and responded to appropriately. People told us they were regularly consulted about their care and they had monthly meetings with their keyworker. People also had an opportunity to share their views and make suggestions at the monthly residents’ meeting.

Risk assessments were in place to support people to be as independent as possible. Risks to people’s personal safety had been assessed and plans were in place to minimise these risks. Staff displayed a good understanding of how to keep people safe from potential harm or abuse and what actions they would take should they suspect abuse had taken place. There were enough staff on duty to meet people’s care and support needs safely.

Safe recruitment practices were followed before new staff were employed to work with people. Checks were made to ensure staff were of good character and suitable for their role. Staff received appropriate training and supervision to develop the skills and knowledge needed to provide people with the necessary care and support. Training was regularly refreshed, with staff attending a range of core training as well as training specific to the needs of people using the service, for example dementia awareness.

We checked whether the service was working within the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005. We found related assessments and decisions had been properly undertaken and the provider had followed the requirements of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS).

The provider had quality monitoring systems in place. Accidents and incidents were investigated and discussed with staff to minimise the risks or reoccurrence. The management operated an on call system to enable staff to seek advice in an emergency. This showed leadership advice was present 24 hours a day to manage and address any concerns raised.