Leighton House is a care home with nursing support and is registered to accommodate up to 27 people. The majority of the people using the service are elderly and have care needs associated with cognitive impairments, such as memory problems or dementia.

There was a registered manager in place. 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.

At the last inspection on 21 October 2014, the service was rated Good. At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

Why the service is rated Good.

People were safe living at Leighton House. Staff understood any risks involved in their care and took action to minimise them. Accidents and incidents were recorded and reviewed to ensure any measures that could prevent a recurrence had been implemented. There were sufficient numbers of staff who were appropriately trained to meet the needs of the people who live here. Staff understood their roles in keeping people safe and protecting them from abuse. Staff recruitment procedures were safe to ensure staff were suitable to support people in the home.

Staff managed the medicines in a safe way and were trained in the safe administration of medicines. People received their medicines when they needed them.

Staff received a comprehensive induction and ongoing training, tailored to the needs of the people they supported. Staff received regular support in the form of annual appraisals and formal supervision to ensure they gave a good standard of safe care and support.

People are supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff support them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service support this practice.

People had enough to eat and drink, and received support from staff where a need had been identified. People’s individual dietary requirements where met. People’s healthcare needs were monitored and they were supported to obtain treatment if they needed it. People who had ongoing conditions were supported to see specialist healthcare professionals regularly.

People enjoyed living at the home and had developed positive relationships with staff and the other people who lived here. Staff treated people with respect and maintained their privacy and dignity. People were supported to maintain relationships with their friends and families. People were encouraged to be independent.

People were encouraged to give their views about the service they received and the provider responded positively to feedback. People had access to activities. The registered manager was in the process of employing a new activities coordinator to increase the choice and frequency of activities for people.

The registered manager provided good leadership for the service. They were experienced in their role and communicated well with people, relatives and staff. Staff felt valued and had access to support and advice from the registered manager if they needed it. Staff shared important information about people’s needs effectively. Team meetings were used to ensure staff were providing consistent care that reflected best practice.

The provider had effective systems in place to monitor the quality of care and support that people received. Quality assurance records were kept up to date to show that the provider had checked on important aspects of the management of the home. The registered manager had ensured that accurate records relating to the care and treatment of people and the overall management of the service were maintained.

The provider and staff have continued to improve the service since our previous inspection. This included a completed redesign of the communal area to better meet the mental health needs of the pe