Southlawns is a care home which provides accommodation for up to 40 older people who require personal care. At the time of the inspection 38 people were using the service. Some of the people who lived at the service needed care and support due to dementia, sensory and /or physical disabilities. The service also provided day care for people.

There was a registered manager at the service. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. 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.

We inspected Southlawns on 11 and 12 January 2017. The inspection was unannounced. The service was last inspected in December 2013 when it was found to be meeting the requirements of the regulations.

People told us they felt safe at the service and with the staff who supported them. One relative told us: “Our first choice was Southlawns as they were the most friendly and welcoming, and we believed they would suit (my relatives) needs the best. (My relative) has been at the home since (last spring) and we have not been disappointed with our choice.” External professionals told us “Southlawns is safe and treatment received is effective. People appear very happy and staff have always been caring and supportive and know their clients well, ” “I feel Southlawns provides a safe and supportive service and the care assistants go over and above their normal duties,” and “I have only heard positive comments from people regarding the service at the home.”

People told us they received their medicines on time. Medicines administration records were kept appropriately and medicines were stored and managed to a good standard.

Staff had been suitably trained to recognise potential signs of abuse. Staff told us they would be confident to report concerns to management, and thought management would deal with any issues appropriately.

Staff training was delivered to a good standard, and staff received updates about important skills such as moving and handling at regular intervals. Staff also received training about the needs of people with dementia. An external professional commented “Staff seem knowledgable and well trained.”

Recruitment processes were satisfactory as pre-employment checks had been completed to help ensure people’s safety. This included written references and an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check, which helped find out if a person was suitable to work with vulnerable adults.

People had access to medical professionals such as a general practitioner, dentist, chiropodist and an optician. People said they received enough support from these professionals.

There were enough staff on duty and people said they received timely support from staff when it was needed. Most people said call bells were answered promptly and we observed staff being attentive to people’s needs. An external professional said, “Staff are very helpful and accommodating.”

Care was provided appropriately and staff were viewed as caring. Relatives said “They are very patient with (my relative). She is happy and settled. Staff are very good and kind,” and “They (the staff) treat them (people who live in the home) beautiful.” An external professional said “Both families and residents are very happy with care and support being received.”

The service had some activities organised. Activities were organised by three activities organisers. Activities included bingo, flower arranging, cooking, reminiscence and sing-alongs, a gardening club as well as a range of external entertainers. Some trips out were available. The library and local church visited. People had the opportunity to participate in one to one activities for example a game of Scrabble.

Care files contained information such as a care plan and these were regularly reviewed. The service had appropriate systems in place to assess peo

People who used the service at Southlawns told us that “we are always asked what our choices are for the day, the food we have, the clothes we wear, how we are looked after, the staff are very respectful” This meant that people have been able to choose how they are cared for, and have given their consent to the care they received.

We saw that care and support was centred on people as individuals and considered all aspects of their circumstances.

We spoke with five people who use the service at Southlawns. One person told us “the staff are very patient and kind, they help me when I need it”, they also said “we all have a keyworker who takes a special interest in us". Another person told us “I never get bored here; I don’t want to move at all”.

We observed staff interacting positively with people at meal times and at other times during the visit.

We saw that there were comprehensive case records which were reviewed regularly according to the changing needs of people using the service.

We saw that Southlawns was clean and tidy and that there were effective measures in place to reduce the risk of infection.

We saw that there were effective recruitment procedures in pace which ensured that people were cared for, or supported by, suitably qualified, skilled and experienced staff.

We saw that there were clear procedures in place for receiving, handling, considering and responding to complaints.

People told us they were well cared for and staff were "caring and friendly". There were opportunities for people to be involved in their care arrangements. People could comment on the quality of the care they received and make suggestions for improvements. People told us they were treated with respect and able to make choices about their daily lives.

People were very positive about the care they received. One person told us "I get all the help I need, you only have to ask, staff are very prompt in coming to help me". Care planning was comprehensive with people being supported by community based professionals to meet care needs. There were risk assessments in place which provided guidance to staff about how to respond and alleviate risks to people's health.

There were good arrangements for the management of medicines this ensured people's health and welfare were protected. There were arrangements in place to enable people to manage their own medicines if able to do so safely. The administration and storage of medicines was arranged through a computer based system. This provided electronic audits so that the manager was able to look at administering practice and address any identified concerns.

Staff told us they were well supported to undertake their role. There were good arrangements for staff to receive supervision and training.

There were good systems in place for the monitoring of the service and for people to comment on the quality of the service.

During our visit we spoke with seven people who used the service and two people who had relatives who used the service. People told us they could chose how to spend their day. We saw there was information for people in the reception area of the home so that people were aware of the activities available.

One visitor said they had always been welcomed in the home and staff members were always polite and caring. They told us the “the staff are very good and understand people’s ways”.

People we spoke with told us that they were happy and safe at Southlawns. One person told us, they had lived in the home for quite a while and felt very happy with the way the home was run. One person commenting on the staff who worked in the home told us, “The staff are more than excellent”.

The staff we spoke with had a very clear understanding of the care needs of people who lived in the home. We saw actions that promoted the dignity of people using the service were included in the person centred plans.

Staff told us they were aware of the home’s policies on recognising and reporting abuse and would not hesitate to report any concerns to the manager.

Regular audits of the premises, care practices and documentation were carried out to maintain the health safety and wellbeing of people at the home.

We observed the atmosphere and general ambiance of the home to be relaxed