This inspection took place on 21 November 2018 and was unannounced. At our last inspection completed in November 2015 we rated the service ‘good’. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

Ludford Road is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection. The care home accommodates up to eight people in one building. At the time of the inspection there were seven people living at the service.

A registered manager was 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.

The registered manager and staff team strived to ensure people could play an active role in the community and to lead full and active lives. People were fully involved in the design and review of their care.

People were supported by a staff team who understood how to protect them from abuse. Care staff managed risks to people in a positive way. Processes were in place to keep people safe in the event of an emergency such as a fire. People were protected from harm while their independence was maximised. People were supported by sufficient numbers of staff who had been recruited safely.

People received their medicines safely and as prescribed. People were protected by effective infection control procedures.

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

People were encouraged to eat more healthily. People were encouraged to be involved in monitoring and maintaining their day to day health.

Staff supported people in a way that was kind and caring. People’s privacy was respected and their dignity was promoted and upheld. People were encouraged to be as independent as possible and were supported to maintain important relationships.

Care staff had been equipped with the skills they required to support people effectively. processes were in place to respond to any issues or complaints. The registered manager had developed an open and transparent culture within the service where people were respected and everyone was free to share their views. People were fully involved in the development of the service.

A range of quality assurance and governance systems were in place and these were being developed to make further improvements. The provider engaged with the wider community and other organisations in order to drive improvements to the lives of those being supported.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

This inspection took place on the 26 and 27 November 2015. The inspection was unannounced and undertaken by one inspector. Ludford Road Residential Care is a residential home that provides accommodation and personal care for up to eight people of working age with mental health conditions. At the time of the inspection there were five people living at Ludford Road. People had their own rooms and the use of a number of comfortable communal areas, including a kitchen, lounges and garden areas.

Ludford Road is required to have 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. At the time of the inspection, Ludford Road had a registered manager in post.

Organisations registered with CQC have a legal obligation to tell us about certain events at their service. The registered manager had not notified the CQC of one event.

People told us that they felt safe receiving care from staff that supported them. All of the relatives told us that they were happy about the way their relative’s care was being delivered.

People received their prescribed medicines as required and in some cases were supported to maintain medicines themselves.

People felt the staff knew how to look after them. People received care from staff that had the knowledge and skills they needed to deliver care effectively to meet the needs of the people they supported.

Staff sought people’s consent before providing care and support. Staff understood the requirements of the Mental Capacity act (2005) and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). When necessary staff sought the guidance of other professionals to ensure people were being supported in the least restrictive way.

People were encouraged by staff to maintain a healthy diet, and were supported to attend their appointments with health care professionals.

We observed positive interactions between staff, the manager and people who used the service. Staff worked with people in a respectful, caring and informal way. We saw staff respected people’s privacy and dignity and there were private spaces in the home that people could use if they wanted privacy.

People felt comfortable to talk with staff and were reassured that staff responded to people’s day-to-day needs. People knew who to speak with to raise any concerns they may have. People we spoke with all knew the manager and had positive regard for them.

We saw that there were systems in place to monitor the quality of the service, and the manager and senior manager of the service undertook quality audits.

When we visited the home, five of the eight people who used the service were on a group holiday in Wales. We spoke with two of the remaining people who had chosen not to go away, three members of staff and the registered manager. We also looked at documentation which was made available to us.

The people that we spoke with told us that they were satisfied with the care and support they received. We saw that people were involved in various activities and supported to maintain their independence. Comments we received from people who used the service included, “It’s not too bad. The staff treat me alright” and “I can’t fault them.”

People who used the service were involved in planning their care. They were supported to make choices about the care they received. Where decisions were made on a person’s behalf they were done so with their agreement and in their best interest.

Sufficient staff were available with appropriate experience and skills to meet the needs of people who used the service.

Systems were also in place to monitor how the service was run and ensure people received a quality service.

During our visit to Ludford Road Residential Care we spoke with four out of the seven people who used the service, two people we asked were not willing to speak with us and one had gone out. We also spoke to three members of staff and the Manager.

Everyone we spoke with was complimentary about the home and the staff that worked there. The comments we received from the people who used the service were positive. People told us: “I love living here”; “Very happy here”; “Staff always look after you” and “They always help you with your problems”. People told us that they were able to express their views and were involved in making decisions about their care.

Overall the people who used the service appeared content in their surroundings. Some people told us how their confidence had grown since living in the home.

We observed staff positively interacting with people in a calm and reassuring manner, offering support to people who were anxious.

People were encouraged to participate in the planning of their care and the running of the home. We saw people working together, co-operating with cooking and laundry duties. Processes were also in place to resolve any disputes that arose before they escalated. This all added to the harmony of the home and supported people’s independence. The people we spoke with told us that they were confident that the staff knew how to support them.