About the service: Kensington House is part of a purpose-built care village development which consists of five care homes. It is registered to provide accommodation, personal and nursing care for up to 30 adults. At the time of the inspection there were 28 people living at the service, some of whom were living with a dementia.

People's experience of using this service: Sufficient evidence was not available at the time of the inspection, to verify that safety checks and tests were carried out in relation to the premises. New checks and tests on the electrical installations, gas and legionella were carried out following our inspection. Aspects of the environment did not always meet best practice guidance for people living with dementia. We have made a recommendation about this.

Quality assurance systems were in place. However, in some cases they had failed to identify issues.

People we spoke with told us they felt safe living at Kensington House and staff supported them well. There were enough staff deployed to meet people’s needs.

Medicines were managed safely.

Staff were knowledgeable about people’s dietary needs and information was shared with catering staff. Food looked appetising. However, we did receive feedback that it was not always served at a hot temperature.

People were supported with their health needs. People were referred to other health and social care professionals when required and were supported with their emotional well-being.

Staff we spoke with told us they felt supported by the registered manager.

Activities were available for people. We did receive feedback that activities were repetitive. Staff told us of ways in which they planned to develop activities using technology.

Most care plans were detailed and recorded person-centred information. End of life care plans need to be developed to include people’s wishes.

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

Rating at the last inspection: The service was rated as good. The report was published in June 2016.

Enforcement: Please see the ‘action we have told the provider to take’ section towards the end of the report.

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.

The inspection took place on 19 and 20 April 2016 and was unannounced. There was one inspector in the inspection team.

The home provides accommodation for a maximum of 30 people requiring personal care. There were 30 people living there at the time of the inspection. A registered manager was in post when we inspected the service. 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People felt safe around care staff and looked comfortable in their company. Care staff understood how to keep people safe and knew what they should do if they had any concerns. Staff were also aware that they could report concerns to the manager or any of the management team. Care staff understood people’s health and the risks to their health. They recognised people’s individual risks, the signs to be aware of and what action to take. People had access to care staff when they needed it and care staff also felt staffing levels were adequate. The registered provider had systems to assure themselves of the suitability of care staff they employed. Regular checks of people’s medications ensured people received their medications as they should.

Staff were able to access training and support to help them understand how to care for people living in the home. People had regular supervisions with their manager and received feedback on their performance. Staff understood how to obtain people’s consent and the unit manager understood their role and obligations for ensuring people’s decision making was accurately recorded. People received choices in their meals and were supported to maintain a healthy diet. People were able to access additional medical help when they required this.

People felt well cared for by care staff and involved in their day to day decisions about their care. Care staff knew about people’s backgrounds and this helped them respond to people’s individual care needs. Care staff showed compassion, dignity and respect when supporting people.

People were offered opportunities to participate in activities of their choice. People were supported by staff to participate in their individual preferences if needed. People knew who they could complain to if they needed to and understood the process for doing so.

People knew the unit manager and felt able to approach her and chat with her. Staff also felt supported by the unit manager and felt part of a team. People’s care was routinely monitored and the unit manager followed the registered provider’s systems for monitoring and updating people’s care. The registered manager worked closely with the unit manager to ensure all necessary checks were made to people’s care.