We carried out this unannounced comprehensive inspection on 8 March 2018. Since the previous inspection of this service Kingston Care Home has had a change of ownership from Four Seasons (No. 10) Limited to Alliance Care (Dales Homes) Limited. As a result this is the service’s first inspection under its new ownership.

Kingston Care Home is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Kingston Care Home provides nursing and residential care for sixty-seven older people. The home is located opposite Kingston Hospital with good access to public transport. Accommodation is provided over three floors that are served by a passenger lift. At the time of inspection 53 people were using the service.

The registered manager had recently resigned and the service was actively recruiting for a replacement.

People told us they felt safe at Kingston Care Home. There were appropriate safeguarding policies and procedures in place, staff had received training in safeguarding adults and had a good knowledge and understanding of how to identify if people were at risk of abuse and knew what action to take in these circumstances.

Risks were identified and plans were in place to monitor and reduce risks to help keep people safe.

There were systems in place for the safe storage, administration and recording of medicines. Each person’s medicine was stored securely and only trained and competent staff were authorised to administer medicines. During the inspection all medicine records we observed had been filled out correctly and medicine audits were completed to ensure medicine procedures were robust.

Staff had been recruited safely with appropriate checks on their backgrounds completed. Staff had completed an induction programme and on-going training was provided to ensure skills and knowledge were kept up to date.

We observed positive and appropriate interactions between the staff and people who used the service. Staff were caring and treated people with kindness, dignity and respect. People and their relatives were complimentary about the quality of care they received.

There was a varied daily choice of meals and people were able to give feedback and have choice in what they ate and drank. People were encouraged and supported to eat and drink well and their nutrition and hydration were monitored regularly.

Staff had received training which gave them the knowledge and skills to support people effectively. Staff had received training in the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005 and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). People were asked for their consent to the care and support they received. Where people were unable to give informed consent staff acted in people’s best interests.

People and their relatives were encouraged to express their views and opinions. They knew how to complain and make suggestions, and were confident their views would be acted upon. The provider had a complaints procedure to support this.