The inspection took place on 14 November 2016 and was unannounced. The care home was last inspected on 8 July 2014 and met the legal requirements at that time. Katherine House is registered to provide personal care for up to 41 people. There were 39 people living in the home on the day of our visit.

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 and their relatives all spoke positively about the care and support provided by the care home team. They told us that staff were, “Very kind and helpful” and that, “They [the staff team] look after you very well.” People told us that staff were respectful and thoughtful.

People’s needs were assessed by the management team before people moved into the home. Care plans were devised with input from people and their relatives. Risks to people were assessed, and actions were taken to reduce the risks and keep people safe.

Staff understood how to safeguard people, and knew the actions to take if they suspected abuse. People who were supported by the service told us they felt safe.

People received personalised care that was responsive to their needs. Care plans reflected that people’s individual needs, preferences and choices had been considered and acted upon. Staff were knowledgeable about people’s individual needs.

People were supported to have their nutritional needs met. Where people required special or modified diets, external specialist support was obtained, and their advice, guidance and instructions were followed.

The home was well-managed. The registered manager monitored the quality of the service and sought and acted on people’s feedback. Quality assurance systems were in place to monitor and mitigate the risks relating to the health, safety and welfare of people.

This inspection was carried out by an adult social care inspector. At the time of inspection 40 people were living in the home. The purpose of our inspection was to answer these key questions; Is the service caring? Is the service responsive? Is the service safe? Is the service effective? Is the service well led?

Below is a summary of what we found. The summary is based on our observations during the inspection, speaking with people using the service, their relatives, the staff supporting them and from looking at records.

If you want to see the evidence supporting our summary please read the full report.

Is the service safe?

We saw that all staff had attended safeguarding training in 2014. The people we spoke with at Katherine House Rest Home all told us they felt safe living there. One person told us” I feel extremely safe here. The home is excellent and has a good feel to it”. One relative we spoke with told us “because my relative says they feel safe here we can sleep well at night”.

Katherine House Rest Home had clear policies and procedures in place regarding abuse and the protection of vulnerable adults. The policy gave guidance to staff about their responsibilities around keeping people safe. Staff had a good understanding about safeguarding vulnerable adults; the types of abuse and the reporting procedures to be followed. The staff we spoke with demonstrated an awareness of what constituted abuse or poor practice.

Is the service effective?

We saw from the records that 85% of the staff have gained National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) level 2 and 3 in health and social care. This meant that staff had received appropriate training to provide care and support to the people who used the service.

One person we spoke with told “the girls are wonderful, kind and pleasant. They helped me so much when I was in a mess. I am sure that is down to their training.

Is the service caring?

People who used the service and their representatives spoke positively about the staff. We spoke with seven people who used the service. People told us that staff were kind and caring towards them. One person told us ”staff are very king and caring to me. They do everything for me the way I want it. It is a good place”. Another person said “staff are polite, kind and compassionate towards us all”.

We also spoke with four relatives. The relatives told us staff were polite, kind and respectful. One relative said, “the manager and all the staff are pleasant and polite whenever we come here.”

Is the service responsive?

We saw all policies stored in the office at the reception for referral and to guide staff in their work. Staff had signed to confirm they had read each policy. This included the complaint policy.

The complaints policy was displayed in the hallway and referred people to who to contact if they felt their complaint had not been resolved. For example the ombudsman. The manager had a book for recording complaints by people who used the service or their relatives, and we saw that there were no complaints since our last inspection.

The manager told us complaints would be dealt with promptly and effectively if any was received. One person we spoke with told us “if I am not happy I will tell somebody but there is no need as I have no complaints”. This meant that the home had system in place for handling complaints in a suitable manner

Is the service well-led?

We saw records that showed the manager carried out three monthly health and safety audits of the environment. The last audit was 17 June 2014.This helped to identify any hazards that could impact on the health and safety of the people who used the service. We saw that there were no issues identified.

.We saw that home had other methods of reviewing the quality of service. This included monitoring visits from persons designated by the provider. The last visit was on 19 June 2014. We saw that action plan had been developed to address the issues highlighted.

We spoke with two social care professionals who visited the home frequently. They told us they were satisfied with the care provided at the home. One person told us “I have no concern. It is a therapeutic environment which contributes to people’s sense of wellbeing”.

We spoke to ten people who used the service. We received many positive comments about the care and support that was provided by the staff at Katherine House. This included “excellent staff from the youngest ones up.” “They are all very pleasant”, “they are always helpful” and “everybody here is so kind, they look after me so well.”

During our visit we observed people being supported in the home and looked at the care plans for four people. We spoke with three members of staff, the manager and three visitors.

People could be confident that their care needs were being assessed, with clear person centred plans being in place to inform the staff. People were involved in the planning of their care. There were regular activities being organised in the home and the local community.

Appropriate checks were undertaken before staff began work. This ensured people were protected against unsuitable staff supporting them.

People who use the service, their representatives and staff were asked for their views about their care and treatment and they were acted on.

Monthly audits were being completed in respect of the care, staff training and support, infection control and the environment. This demonstrated that the manager was continually reviewing the service to ensure that quality was maintained and improvements made where required.

We spoke to five people during our visit and two relatives. People told us they were involved in decisions about their care and they were always consulted prior to care being delivered.

People told us that there were daily activities organised by the staff in the home. These included quizzes, keep fit, cross words, sing-a-longs, art and craft, fortnightly church services and poetry groups.

Three people commented positively about the dance/keep fit group and how this had improved either their physical condition or relationships in the home. One person said “the dance group has brought both the staff and the people living in the home closer; it is a really good session and one I look forward to attending”.

People told us the staff treated them with respect and were very caring. We observed staff knocking prior to entering bedrooms and bathrooms.

People using the service confirmed they had information to enable them to make a decision on whether to move to the home, including a statement of purpose and a service user guide. This information was available in the entrance hall of the home.

People living in the home told us they could access their care records and they were involved in care reviews and where relevant family were invited. One person said “I only need to ask and they will show me and discuss the care plan”.

One person said “I cannot fault the service, I feel safe and well supported here”.

Relatives told us they were kept informed of any changes and made to feel welcome with refreshments being offered.

People told us that the staff take into account their own personal routine. One person said they like a cup of tea at 5:30 am and staff always assist with this.

Comments about the food were positive from all the people we spoke with. This related to the quality, the choice and the support given to them. One person said “the food is excellent, I am provided with breakfast in bed, a cooked lunchtime meal, tea and supper and there is always a choice”. People told us that the menus were discussed at the resident meetings and they were asked what they would like on the menu. We were told the resident's meetings were planned every two to three months.

People told us they were registered with a GP. One person told us the staff were responsive to any changes in health and would make contact with the doctor.

People we spoke with told us they felt safe living at Katherine House Rest Home. Comments about staff conduct raised no concerns about the practices in the home. Staff were aware of the whistle blowing policy which enabled them to raise concerns about the care and welfare of the people they were supporting. People told us all the staff were kind and considerate and responded to their needs.

One person said “the staff come at the drop of a hat and nothing is too much trouble”.

People told us they knew how to complain and felt the manager and the staff would respond appropriately to any concerns raised. A copy of the complaint procedure was kept in the main hallway of the home.

People told us they received their medication on time and could request additional pain relief.

People told us the service regular obtains their views through residents' meetings, care reviews and annual surveys.

One person living in Katherine House Rest Home told us they had recently been involved in setting up an equalities charter as part of a residents' meeting. They commended the service on the level of involvement and how this had impacted on the quality of the service with both the staff team and the people living in Katherine Rest Home.