We carried out an unannounced comprehensive inspection of this service on 28 February 2017.

The home is registered to provide accommodation and personal care for adults and who may have a dementia related illness. A maximum of 60 people can live at the home. There were 58 people living at home on the day of the inspection.

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.

People told us that they felt safe and secure living in the home and that staff supported them to maintain their safety. Staff told us about how they minimised the risk to people’s safety and that they would report any suspected risk of abuse to the management team. People told us that staff helped them by supporting them and offering guidance or care that reduced their risks. Staff were available to meet people’s requests and care needs in a timely way. People told us they had not waited long if they requested assistance or used the call system when in their rooms. People told us they received their medicines from senior care staff who managed the administration for them, when they needed them. People also felt that if they needed extra pain relief or other medicines as needed, these were provided.

People told us staff knew the care and support they needed and relatives told us staff were trained and supported to provide the care needed for their family members. Staff we spoke with told us they knew the care people needed from their training courses and guidance from senior care staff and managers. Staff knowledge reflected the needs of people who lived at the home. People told us staff acted on their wishes and their agreement had been sought before staff carried out a task.

People told us they enjoyed their meals, had a choice of the foods they enjoyed and we saw where needed people were supported to eat and drink enough to keep them healthy. People had access to other healthcare professionals that provided treatment, advice and guidance to support their health needs.

People told us they enjoyed spending time with staff and spent time chatting and relaxing with them. Relatives we spoke with told us staff were considerate, kind and friendly and took time to get to know and develop positive relationship with their family members. We saw people maintained their privacy and dignity and staff supported them to do this where needed. People’s day to day preferences were listened to by staff and those choices and decisions were respected. Staff told us it was important to promote a person’s independence and ensure people had as much involvement as possible in their care and support.

People were involved in planning their care and if requested their relatives were involved. Care plans reflected people’s life histories, preferences and their opinions. People told us staff offered encouragement to remain active and try activities on offer. People also told us they enjoyed their hobbies and interests and spent time reading, attend places of worship or going on day trips.

People and relatives we spoke with told us they were aware of who they would make a complaint to if needed. People told us they were happy to talk though things with staff or the registered manager if they were not happy with their care. The provider had reviewed and responded to all concerns raised.

The registered manager provided good leadership and management for the staff team. The staff demonstrated their commitment to care for people following best practice. They linked with care provider forums and ensured people had access to the local community. The service had a good reputation within the local community and also with health and social care professional