An unannounced inspection of Promenade Care Home took place on 31 October and 1 November 2017.

Located in Southport town centre, the Promenade Care Home provides accommodation and personal care for up to 49 people. Shared areas include a large dining room and lounge on the ground floor. A lift is available for access to the upper floors and lower ground floor. There is a large enclosed garden to the rear of the building. Both front and rear entrances have disabled access. A call system with an alarm facility operates throughout the home.

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’.

At the last inspection, the service was rated Good.

At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

Why the service is rated Good.

We looked at the care plans for four people receiving support at the service. Each record contained person-centred information which included physical and social information, life history, risks to people’s safety and reference to people’s choices and preferences. People told us they were involved with the care needs assessment and their plan of care. A person said, “I am more than happy with the help I receive from the staff, they are so nice.” The registered manager and staff were aware of how to support people from different cultures and backgrounds and this was recorded appropriately.

Staff were able to explain each person’s care needs and how they communicated these needs. People we spoke with and their relatives told us that staff had the skills and approach needed to ensure people were receiving the right care.

We saw people’s dietary needs were managed with reference to individual preferences and choice.

People were supported to follow various social activities; these were arranged on a daily and very much appreciated by people living at Promenade Care Home. There was a relaxed friendly atmosphere in the home with plenty of chatter and laughter. A person said, “It’s so nice, we have lots of fun, I am never lonely here.”

Staff received safeguarding training and staff interviews confirmed their knowledge around reporting procedures to the local authority and other external agencies. A staff member said, “I would always speak up for the residents.”

Staff sought consent from people before providing support. When people were unable to consent, the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 were followed in that an assessment of the person’s mental capacity was made and decisions made in the person’s best interest.

The registered manager had made referrals to the local authority applying for authorisations to support people who may be deprived of their liberty under the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). DoLS is part of the Mental Capacity Act (2005) and aims to ensure people in care homes and hospitals are looked after in a way that does not inappropriately restrict their freedom unless it is in their best interests.

The service had complaints’ policy and procedure which was clearly displayed for people and their visitors to the home to view. Complaints logged had been investigated and responded to in accordance with this documentation.

We saw recruitment checks had been undertake to ensure staff were ‘fit’ to work with vulnerable people.

Medicines were stored and administered safely to people living at the service. People were encouraged to administer their own medicines where appropriate.

Staff were trained in a range of subjects appropriate to the needs of people receiving support. This training was provided regularly, along with specialist training, for example, end of life care and formal qualifications in care to improve staff’s skill and expertise.

The se

Throughout the inspection we spent time with 10 people and invited them to share with us their views and experience of living at the Promenade Care Home.

People told us staff were respectful of their choices. One person said, “I think it is very nice here, you don’t get told to do this or do that. They [staff] ask you what you want to do.” The people we spent time with were aware of their care needs and said staff explained things to them.

People told us there was always plenty of staff about and staff responded quickly if a person needed something. One person said, “The staff are excellent. Some of them have been around for years. There are always plenty of staff to help us.”

Care records informed us that individualised assessments and care plans had been developed for each person and these were reviewed consistently each month.

Arrangements were established for ensuring the environment was clean, safe and well maintained. We found that effective staff recruitment processes were in place.

As part of our inspection we spent time with people who shared with us their views and experience of living at the home. We also spoke with relatives who were visiting the home.

All the people we spoke with said the staff were pleasant, kind and caring. They said they did not have to wait long for support if they needed something. One person said “it is not like your home but the nearest thing”. They told us the food was good and they got plenty to eat.

We spoke with relatives who said the standard of personal care was very good. A relative said “the home is brilliant. I never regretted picking it”.

A programme of leisure and social activities was in place. People told us there were plenty of activities to choose from, with opportunities to go out in the local area and participate in organised coach trips.

The inspection took place on 18 and 19 May 2015 and was unannounced.

The Promenade Care Home is registered to provide residential care for up to 49 older people. Accommodation is provided in 48 single rooms and one double room, the majority of which have ensuite bathrooms and all are equipped with a call system. There were 42 people living at the home at the time of our inspection. Communal living areas include a large dining room and lounge on the ground floor. A lift is available for access to the upper floors and lower ground floor. There is a large enclosed garden to the rear of the building. Both front and rear entrances have disabled access. The home is situated on the promenade in a central location in Southport town centre, close to shops and a variety of amenities.

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.

Staff understood how to recognise abuse and how to report concerns or allegations.

There were enough staff on duty at all times to ensure people were supported safely.

We saw the necessary recruitment checks had been undertaken so that staff employed were suitable to work with vulnerable people.

Staff said they were well supported through induction, supervision, appraisal and the home’s training programme.

People told us they received enough to eat and drink, and they chose their meals each day. They were encouraged to eat foods which met their dietary requirements. One person told us, “The food is very good here, I get a choice.”

People’s physical and mental health needs were monitored and recorded. Staff recognised when additional support was required and people were supported to access a range of health care services.

People told us they had choices with regard to daily living activities and they could choose what to do each day. They told us staff treated them with respect.

Staff we spoke with showed they had a very good understanding of the people they were supporting and were able to meet their needs. We saw that they interacted well with people in order to ensure their received the support and care they required.

We saw that staff demonstrated kind and compassionate support. They encouraged and supported people to be independent both in the home and the community.

We saw that people’s person centred plans and risk assessments were regularly reviewed. People had their needs assessed and staff understood what people’s care needs were. Referrals to other services such as the dietician or occupational therapist or GP visits were made in order to ensure people received the most appropriate care.

People living at Promenade Care Home told us they were involved in the decisions about their care and support, and in choosing what they wanted to do each day.

The home had a complaints policy and processes were in place to record and complaints received to ensure issues were addressed within the timescales given in the policy.

The registered manager provided effective leadership in the home and was supported by a clear management structure.

We found an open and person-centred culture within the home. This was evidenced throughout all of the interviews we conducted and the observations of care.

There were systems in place to get feedback from people so that the service could be developed with respect to their needs.

We received positive feedback from health and social care professionals who told us the home worked well with them and liaised to support people’s on-going health and social care.

The service had a quality assurance system in place with various checks completed to demonstrate good practice within the home.