About the service:

Hope Green is a residential care home that is registered to provide personal care for up to 54 people. Accommodation is provided in an adapted building over two floors. There are numerous lounges and dining rooms for people to use within the building. People also have access to secure outdoor space. At the time of our inspection there were 50 people living in the home.

People’s experience of using this service:

People and their relatives spoke highly of the staff and manager. They spoke of receiving high quality care from staff that were kind, friendly and knew them well. Relatives spoke of staff being approachable and keeping them informed of changes to their relative’s care.

People and their relatives felt that they received safe care. They received their medication at times they needed this and by staff who were trained to administer this safely.

There were sufficient staff to meet the needs of the people living in the service. Staff spoke of having time to sit and chat with people and get to know them.

Recruitment was managed safely. The necessary checks were completed prior to staff starting work. Staff received inductions when they started work and received ingoing training and support and supervision in order to maintain and develop their skills and knowledge.

The home was clean and well maintained. Regular checks were completed on equipment to ensure safety and staff had access to personal protective equipment to reduce risks of infection control.

The registered provider was acting within the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005. Where necessary, people’s capacity was assessed and decisions were taken and recorded in people’s best interests looking at the least restrictive options.

People’s health needs were effectively assessed and monitored. Where people needed access to other health professionals, referrals were completed and advice recorded.

People were encouraged to take part in a variety of activities and their choices and preferences were respected.

People knew how to complain and were confident that that their concerns would be listened to and acted upon.

We received positive comments about the registered manager and staff and how the home was run overall. The registered manager spoke with us about future improvements in the home and we saw what improvements had already been put in place.

More information is in the full report below.

Rating at last inspection: Good (Report published 6 August 2016).

Why we inspected: This was a planned comprehensive inspection based on the ratings at the last inspection.

Follow up: We will continue to monitor intelligence we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If any concerning information is received, we may inspect sooner.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

We arrived at the home at 10.15am and left at 5.15pm. The service had previously met all of the regulations we inspected against at our last inspection on 15 January 2014.

Hope Green Residential Home is a former private residence that has been converted into a care home to provide personal care for 43 older people. It is located approximately one mile from Poynton town centre. Local facilities are all within easy access. Accommodation is provided mainly in single bedrooms although four large bedrooms can be used as double rooms if required. All bedrooms have en-suite facilities. Communal areas such as lounges, dining rooms and a conservatory are also available. At the time of the inspection there were 36 people living there.

There was a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) 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.

Prior to this inspection we received feedback from Healthwatch, the local authority contract monitoring team and a visiting health care professional to seek their views of the service. They did not have any concerns about the care.

The experiences of people who lived at the home were positive. People were happy with the care and support they received. Comments included: “Excellent care here. They show mum respect. We looked at six homes before mum moved here, this one stood out, it was friendly and you could tell staff were respectful”; “Oh yes, I like it here, there are staff around who help me, they are good to me, and helpful, that makes me feel, you know, good”; “Staff speak nicely to us”; “The girls are lovely, they seem very involved with the people here, Mum’s room is clean and tidy, her clothes are fresh”.

People's needs were assessed and plans were developed to identify what care and support people required to maintain their health and wellbeing and foster their independence where possible.

People were protected from abuse. Staff were knowledgeable about the risks of abuse and reporting procedures.

We found there were sufficient staff available to meet people's needs and that safe and effective recruitment practices were followed. Staff had good relationships with people who lived at the home and were attentive to their needs. Staff respected people's privacy and dignity at all times and interacted with people in a caring, respectful and professional manner.

People's health care needs were met and their medicines were administered appropriately. Staff supported people to attend healthcare appointments and liaised with their GP and other healthcare professionals as required to meet people's needs.

People were appropriately supported and had sufficient food and drink to maintain a healthy diet.

Staff received suitable induction and training to meet the needs of people living at the home. Staff were well supported by the manager. This meant people were being cared for by suitably qualified, supported and trained staff.

There were systems and processes in place to monitor the quality of the service. Audits were carried out and people’s views were sought. Where shortfalls were identified the manager was using the information to improve the service. This demonstrated that it was a learning organisation.

During our visit, we could see that people’s privacy, dignity and independence were respected and their views and experiences were taken into account in the way the service was provided and delivered in relation to their care. The care plans and risk assessment we looked at were up to date and contained clear and relevant information about the needs of people using services. We spent time in communal areas and noted the atmosphere was very calm and relaxed. People were protected against the risks associated with medicines because the provider had appropriate arrangements in place to manage medicines. People using services at Hope Green received their medication at the same time every day.

Staff records showed that all appropriate checks were made before any new staff were allowed to commence work at the home which ensured the safety of all people using services. Comprehensive training had been received by all staff members which provided them with the skills to meet the needs of all people at Hope Green Residential Home. There was an effective complaints system available which meant any comments or complaints people made were responded to within an acceptable time frame, that is 28 days, in an appropriate manner.

During our visit to the Home we spoke with six people who use the service. We talked to them in a variety of locations including in private. They all said how happy they were to live at the Home– “I like the setup and the way they handle things” “Fantastic. A lovely Home.” “In all the years I have been here I have only had one meal I could have cooked better myself.” ”I am happy here.”

We saw that there was a programme of activities for people living in the Home with an emphasis on choice for those who wished to become involved and those who did not and with the option for people to pursue interests outside the Home.

The people who used the service talked highly of the staff and said that they treated them with dignity and respect - “I like it very much. I like the staff – they are very helpful” - “The staff ask what you like and don’t like – and you tell them. They take notice.”

During our visit to the home we spoke with eleven people who live there. They told us they are looked after well and treated in a caring way with dignity and respect. For example, one person said; “I am treated with kindness and as an individual”. Another said; “I am treated as a person and with respect and dignity”.

They gave examples of the things they did during the day including socialising with other people living at the home, watching television, reading, and taking part in activities organised by the activity coordinator. Activities we were told about included playing dominoes or cards, taking part in quizzes and bingo games, doing exercises, and having their nails painted. Several people also mentioned visits out to local places such as the canal, garden centre and restaurants. People were clear they could choose to do what they wanted. For example, one person told us; "There is always something on and I get involved if I want to”.

All the people we spoke to said they were happy living at the home. They spoke very highly of the staff saying they are kind and caring, look after them well and help them when necessary. For example, one person said; “The carers are wonderful; they do all they can for you”. Another said; “Staff are friendly, very pleasant and always caring” and another said; “I never hear people complaining, people always say they are happy here”.

The majority told us there are enough staff to meet their care and welfare needs. However, two told us that sometimes staff are very busy so that at times they have to wait to get the care and support they need.