About this service:

New Fairholme is a care home that was providing personal care and nursing to 88 people at the time of the inspection, some of whom were living with dementia. New Fairholme is registered to provide accommodation with nursing care for up to a maximum of 88 people. People are accommodated in four units over two floors. The Kingfisher and Kestrel units are situated on the first floor and provide support for people with physical health needs. On the ground floor are the Nightingale and Skylark units which provide support to people living with dementia.

People’s experience of using this service:

Staff followed the provider’s systems and processes so that people's needs were safely met.

There were enough staff to meet people's individual care needs.

People received their medicines safely and staff understood each person's abilities and health needs.

People were supported to have control and choice over their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible.

Staff had a kind and caring approach towards people. They respected people’s privacy and dignity.

People enjoyed meaningful activities and there were appropriate opportunities to engage with the activities coordinator in groups or on a one to one basis.

Systems and processes for assessing and monitoring the quality of the provision were robust. Audits identified any issues with service provision. The provider had plans to remedy any issues found.

People, relatives and staff spoke highly of the management team and the way the service was run.

The service met the characteristics of Good in all areas; more information is available in the full report below.

Rating at last inspection: Good (report published 24 March 2016 )

Why we inspected: This was a planned inspection based on the rating at the last inspection. The service was rated Good overall.

Follow up: We will continue to monitor intelligence we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If any concerning information is received we may inspect sooner.

People told us that they received a good standard of care at the home. One person said, "It is nice here, they look after me well" and a relative told us, "I think they really do care about the people who live here".

We saw that staff responded promptly to any requests for assistance. People told us that the staff were, "Kind, very nice, nothing's too much trouble" and, "Always willing to help". Staff made sure that people were given choice and were encouraged to be as independent as possible. Staff attended to healthcare needs. Staff did not always record or monitor health care care tasks so that they could analyse whether any different action needed to be taken.

Staff were knowledgeable about people's individual needs. Staff told us they had attended a range of training courses to equip them with the knowledge and skills to carry out their duties effectively ‘some time ago’. Staff considered they needed more in depth knowledge to understand and assist the needs of people living with dementia.

The provider enabled people to express their views of the service through regular meetings. Most people told us that they would feel comfortable raising any concerns. Some stressed that they had wanted to but hadnt felt able to but that this had now improved.

The inspection was carried out on 2 and 3 February 2016 and was unannounced.

New Fairholme is registered to provide accommodation with nursing care for up to a maximum of 88 people. There were 84 people living at the home on the day of our inspection. People were cared for in four units over two floors. The Kingfisher and Kestrel units were situated on the first floor and provided support for people with physical health needs. On the ground floor were the Nightingale and Skylark units which provided support to people living with dementia.

There was a registered manager in post who was present during the inspection. 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 felt safe living at the home because there were enough staff to help them when they needed support. The provider had completed employment checks to ensure new staff were suitable and safe to work with the people living at the home.

Staff were aware of the risks associated with people’s health and what they needed to do to reduce the risk of harm or injury to them. Staff knew how to identify any signs of abuse and were clear who to report concerns to.

People were supported to take their medicines when they needed them. Medicines were secured safely and accurate records were maintained. Staff received regular competency assessment checks to ensure the ongoing safe management of medicine.

Staff told us they had good training opportunities that ensured they had the skills to care for people’s individual needs. Staff received regular one to one meetings where they gained support and guidance to enable them carry out the roles expected of them.

People were encouraged and supported to make decisions about their care and treatment. Staff sought people’s consent before supporting them and respected their wishes when they declined support. Where people were unable to make decisions for themselves we saw that decisions were made in their best interest to protect their human rights.

People were given choice about what they wanted to eat and drink. People’s nutritional needs were routinely assessed, monitored and reviewed. Where people required help to eat and drink they were supported in a kind and patient manner.

People were able to see health care professionals as and when required. Staff monitored people’s health and made referrals to other health care professionals when specialist advice and support was required.

People found staff friendly and caring. Staff used people’s preferred method of communication to involve them in decisions about their and treatment. People were treated with dignity and respect and staff promoted their independence.

People received individualised care from staff who knew them well and were able to respond quickly to changes in their needs. People were able to spend their time as they wished and had access to a range of activities to take part in.

People and their relatives were aware of the provider's complaints process and were confident that any concerns would be listened to an acted upon.

There was a friendly atmosphere at the home, people and their relatives found staff and the registered manager approachable and welcoming.

The provider encouraged feedback from people and their relatives and completed a range of checks to monitor the quality of the service. They used the information gathered to drive improvements in the service.