Moorhaven is a residential care home for 54 people. The home is divided into small ‘suites’ and specialises in the care of older people. At the time of this inspection there were 46 people living at the home.

At the last inspection, the service was rated Good.

At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

Why the service is rated good;

People received safe care because the provider had appropriate policies and procedures in place to minimise risks to people. People told us they felt safe at the home. One person said, “I definitely feel safe here.” A visitor told us, “The staff are always so kind and polite with people.”

People had access to healthcare professionals in accordance with their individual needs. People’s nutritional needs were assessed and they received food in line with their needs, wishes and preferences. Comments about food included; “Food is very good, especially the cooked breakfasts,” “Food here is lovely. Sometimes you have to say no thank you for the sake of your waistline” and “Always plenty of choice. Always tasty and plentiful.”

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 cared for by staff who were kind, caring and patient. People’s privacy and dignity were respected and they were involved in decisions about how their care and support was provided. Friends and family were always made welcome in the home.

People were able to make choices about their day to day lives and staff respected people’s individual routines. Various activities and trips were arranged and people were able to join in with activities that interested them or follow their own interests and hobbies. One person told us, “I am quite content with everything. They tell me what’s happening each day and sometimes I join in and sometimes I don’t. My choice.”

The service was well led by a registered manager who was very open and approachable. One person said, “She [registered manager] comes round every morning so you can always have a word. If it’s something more private you can go to the office. She has a very open door policy.” The provider had systems in place to make sure people’s views were sought and on-going improvements were made to the care people received and the facilities available to them.

Further information is in the detailed findings below

This inspection was unannounced and took place on 11 August 2015.

Moorhaven provides personal care and accommodation for up to 54 people. The home is divided into six small units. Moorhaven specialises in the care of older people. At the time of the inspection there were 47 people at the home.

The last inspection of the home was carried out in December 2013. No concerns were identified with the care being provided to people at that inspection.

There is 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.

People received care that was responsive to their needs and personalised to their wishes and preferences. However care plans were not always fully reflective of people’s up to date needs and wishes. This could potentially place people at risk of receiving care that did not meet their needs and preferences.

The registered manager was open and approachable and people felt able to share their concerns and suggestions. People told us they would be comfortable to make a complaint if they were unhappy about any aspect of their care.

People felt safe at the home and were complimentary about the staff who supported them. People told us staff were kind and understanding. People felt supported to maintain their independence and to make choices about their day to day lives.

There were sufficient numbers of well trained staff to meet people’s needs in a relaxed and safe way. Staff assisted people in manner that respected their privacy and dignity.

Staff monitored people’s health and well-being and ensured they had access to appropriate healthcare professionals when needed. People’s care was adjusted to meet their changing needs or wishes. There were systems in place to make sure people received their medicines safely from competent staff.

The quality of the service was constantly monitored and staff received appropriate training to make sure they were kept up to date with current good practice. People had confidence in the skills of the staff who supported them.

People were able to take part in a range of activities according to their interests. The home had a minibus which enabled people to access the local community for shopping and leisure activities. There was an activities worker who organised activities in the main part of the home. Care staff made sure alternative activities and social stimulation were always available for smaller groups in one of the units.

All areas of the building were clean and well maintained creating a comfortable environment for people. Each person had a single room which they were able to personalise to their tastes and needs.

People we spoke to at Moorhaven were happy, “I am very happy here, the girls are lovely”. Peoples' care plans and risk assessments were informative, well maintained and regularly updated. People who used the service where effectively supported by trained staff.

Staff told us about the training they had received to recognise abuse and how to report it.

We found people had a choice of suitable nutritious food. People told us “The food is lovely, there is always plenty to eat.”

We saw evidence that demonstrated how the service provision was assessed and monitored through audit and risk assessment.

People we spoke with said they continued to make decisions about their everyday lives and about the care they received. One person said “The staff don’t force you to do anything but they will do anything you ask them to.” Another person told us “I do things for myself as far as possible. They respect my need to be independent.”

Everyone felt that the care they received was personal to their particular needs and wishes. One person said “I can be very fussy but they go along with how I like things done. All my special requirements are written down.” This demonstrated that care was person centred which ensured that it met people’s individual needs and wishes.

There were effective systems in place to identify infection control risks and ensure that action was taken to minimise them. These included regular audits of practice and training for staff.

People were complimentary about the staff who supported them. Comments included “The staff are nice, they never tell you what to do, just help you when you ask” and “The staff are lovely and friendly.”

The company had a complaints policy which was displayed in the home. The policy gave people information about how to make a complaint and how complaints would be responded to. No one we spoke with had any complaints about the care or service they received. All said that they would be comfortable to speak with a member of staff if they had any worries. All were confident that any compliant would be responded to appropriately.

People living at the home said that they were very happy with the care that they received. Comments included “We are all very well looked after,” “They are happy to do anything for you” and “They treat you well, the food is good and the staff are lovely.”

People told us they were able to make choices about their day to lives. They said they were able to choose what time they got up, when they went to bed and how they spent their day.

One person said “You can carry on as normal but you know there is always someone to help if you need it.” Another person commented “You can please yourself, they let you be as independent as you want.”

Everyone asked said that staff respected their privacy and were always sensitive when assisting with personal care. During our visit we observed that staff always knocked on bedroom doors and waited to be invited in before entering. One person living at the home said “Nobody comes in without knocking.”

Throughout the visit we observed that staff interacted with people in a kind and polite manner. Everyone appeared very relaxed and comfortable with the staff who supported them. One person said “I feel safe and respected here.”

We were told that the management in the home was extremely approachable and people said they were able to raise issues or make suggestions at any time.

Everyone asked said that they would be comfortable to speak with the manager if they had any worries or concerns. People felt that their concerns would be listened to and action would be taken to address them. One person said “You can talk to anyone at anytime, they will always discuss things with you.

People were very complimentary about the staff who supported them. Comments included “The staff are all very nice and there is always enough people on duty,” “Staff are lovely, they know about the care I need” and “Staff are very nice and always polite.”

People living at the home said that they were asked their opinions about the care that they received and were able to make suggestions about the running of the home.