Leahyrst Care Home is registered to provide accommodation and personal care for up to 41 older people, some of whom are living with dementia. The home is situated in a residential area, close to local amenities and transport links. Accommodation is based on three floors, accessed by a passenger lift. All of the bedrooms are single and communal lounges and a dining room are provided. The home has a secure enclosed garden and car park.

There was a manager at the service who was registered with Care Quality Commission (CQC). A registered manager is a person who has registered with the 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

Our last inspection at Leahyrst took place on 20 May 2016. Whilst no breaches of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 were found, the service required improvement in some areas. At this inspection we found improvements had been made.

This inspection took place on 19 June 2017 and was unannounced. This meant the people who lived at Leahyrst and the staff who worked there did not know we were coming. On the day of our inspection there were 37 people living at Leahyrst.

People living at the home and their relatives spoke very positive about their experience of living at Leahyrst. They told us they, or their family member, felt safe, were happy and felt respected.

We found systems were in place to make sure people received their medicines safely so their health was looked after.

Staff recruitment procedures ensured people’s safety was promoted.

Sufficient numbers of staff were provided to meet people’s needs.

Staff were provided with relevant training so they had the skills they needed to undertake their role.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible. The registered provider’s policies and systems supported this practice.

People had access to a range of health care professionals to help maintain their health. A varied diet was provided, which took into account dietary needs and preferences so people’s health was promoted and choices could be respected.

Staff knew people well and positive, caring relationships had been developed. People were encouraged to express their views and they were involved in decisions about their care. People’s privacy and dignity was respected and promoted. Staff understood how to support people in a sensitive way.

A programme of activities was in place so people were provided with a range of leisure opportunities.

People said they could speak with staff if they had any worries or concerns and they would be listened to.

There were systems in place to monitor and improve the quality of the service provided. Regular checks and audits were undertaken to make sure full and safe procedures were adhered to.

This inspection took place on 20 May 2016 and was unannounced. This meant people who used the service and staff did not know we were going on this date.

At the last inspection on 12 and 16 November 2015 we found breaches of legal requirements in relation to staffing levels, staff training and supervision. We also found medicines were not managed safely and the systems in place to monitor the service were not effective. We asked the provider to take action to make improvements and this action had been completed.

Leahyrst Care Home is a 41 bed residential care home providing care and support to older people with a range of support needs, including dementia. It is located in a residential area close to Sheffield city centre. On the day of the inspection there were 32 people living in the home.

The service requires a registered manager. 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. On the day of the inspection the registered manager was not working at the service and there was an acting manager in place.

People who used the service told us they felt safe living in the home. Their relatives spoke positively about the standard of care and support their family member received.

Staff knew people well and were aware of their personal needs and preferences.

People who required support with their medicines were given this in a caring and attentive way.

During the day staffing numbers were sufficient to meet people’s needs. Additional staff had been employed to work during the night, but had not started as they were awaiting final recruitment checks to be completed.

Staff employed at the home had been recruited in a way that helped to keep people safe because thorough checks were completed prior to them being offered a post.

Staff were receiving regular training and supervision so they were skilled and competent to carry out their role.

People said they enjoyed the meals provided to them and that their was plenty of choice. People could chose to eat their meals either in the dining room or their own room. At lunchtime staff were busy taking meals to people which meant some people had to wait to be assisted to eat.

People and their families were involved in making decisions about their care. A range of healthcare professionals visited the home to offer support and advice to staff about people’s varying needs.

Staff and people who used the service were mutually respectful. People were seen enjoying the company of staff and staff spoke with people in a polite and caring way.

Work had started to re-write all care plans. This was to ensure people’s needs were recorded and understood by everyone.

The majority of social activities had stopped being provided as no activity worker was in place. A new activity worker was due to start work imminently.

There was a new manager in place who was working in partnership with other professionals to improve the quality of the service. New audit systems were in place which needed to be maintained so that improvements were sustained.

People, relatives and healthcare professionals had confidence in the managers ability to lead the service.

People’s personal records including medical records were accurate and fit for purpose. Records contained a high level of detail and described how support and care should be delivered so that people were kept safe.

Some people living at Leahyrst were able to tell us about their experience. They spoke warmly about the care they received. One person said: “My bedroom’s nice, very sunny.” Another person said: “I know they [the staff] are caring.”

We saw that people had a care plan in place which considered their mental state and cognition. This gave details on whether the person had insight and the capacity to make decisions. It was regularly evaluated to ensure it remained accurate.

The provider had taken steps to provide care in an environment that is suitably designed and adequately maintained. We checked the property and found that it was well maintained and decorated.

We saw through our observations that staff were skilled and knowledgeable, although steps needed to be taken to embed formal staff supervision within the home.

We checked people’s records and care plans, and checked staff files. We found that records were not accurate or fit for purpose.

Some people living at the home had complex needs and were not able to verbally communicate their views and experiences to us. Due to this we have used a formal way to observe people in this review to help us understand how their needs were supported. We call this the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI).

Throughout the SOFI we saw all staff treat people with respect and courtesy. The atmosphere in the home was relaxed and during our observation we saw frequent positive and friendly interaction between staff and people who use the service. We saw that people who use the service were given choices and supported to make decisions and staff took their time to understand people where they had communication difficulties.

We were able to speak with three people who use the service. They told us they liked living at the home and we received comments such as “The staff are lovely”, “The staff help me when I need it”, “You get the rest that you need here” and “I like it here, the staff are good and so is the food”.

Leahyrst Care Home is registered to provide accommodation and personal care for up to 41 older people, some of whom are living with dementia. The home is situated in a residential area, close to local amenities and transport links. Accommodation is based on three floors, accessed by a passenger lift. All of the bedrooms are single and communal lounges and a dining room are provided. The home has a secure enclosed garden and car park.

There was a manager at the service who was registered with Care Quality Commission (CQC). A registered manager is a person who has registered with the 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

Our last inspection at Leahyrst took place on 20 May 2016. Whilst no breaches of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 were found, the service required improvement in some areas. At this inspection we found improvements had been made.

This inspection took place on 19 June 2017 and was unannounced. This meant the people who lived at Leahyrst and the staff who worked there did not know we were coming. On the day of our inspection there were 37 people living at Leahyrst.

People living at the home and their relatives spoke very positive about their experience of living at Leahyrst. They told us they, or their family member, felt safe, were happy and felt respected.

We found systems were in place to make sure people received their medicines safely so their health was looked after.

Staff recruitment procedures ensured people’s safety was promoted.

Sufficient numbers of staff were provided to meet people’s needs.

Staff were provided with relevant training so they had the skills they needed to undertake their role.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible. The registered provider’s policies and systems supported this practice.

People had access to a range of health care professionals to help maintain their health. A varied diet was provided, which took into account dietary needs and preferences so people’s health was promoted and choices could be respected.

Staff knew people well and positive, caring relationships had been developed. People were encouraged to express their views and they were involved in decisions about their care. People’s privacy and dignity was respected and promoted. Staff understood how to support people in a sensitive way.

A programme of activities was in place so people were provided with a range of leisure opportunities.

People said they could speak with staff if they had any worries or concerns and they would be listened to.

There were systems in place to monitor and improve the quality of the service provided. Regular checks and audits were undertaken to make sure full and safe procedures were adhered to.