This inspection took place on 23 and 24 August 2016 and was an unannounced inspection. The service was last inspected on 08 July 2014 and was rated Good.

St Anthony’s Residential Home is registered to provide accommodation and support for 37 older people who may also be living with dementia. On the day of our visit, there were 37 people living in the home.

There was 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 were protected from the risk of abuse because the provider ensured that staff had received the training they needed so that they could recognise and respond to the risk of abuse.

People were supported by staff that were kind and caring and who took the time to get to know people. People were cared for by staff that protected their privacy and dignity and respected them as individuals.

People were supported by enough members of staff who had been safely recruited and received adequate training to ensure they had the knowledge and skills they required to do their job effectively.

People received care and support with their consent where possible, and the staff ensured that people were supported in the least restrictive ways in order to keep them safe.

People’s dietary needs were assessed and monitored to identify any risks associated with their eating and drinking.

People were supported to receive their medication as prescribed because the provider had systems in place.

People were supported to stay healthy and had access to health care professionals as required.

People could choose how to spend their day and they took part in activities in the home and the community.

People knew who to speak to if they wanted to raise a concern and there were processes in place for responding to complaints.

The provider had systems in place to audit, assess and monitor the quality of the service provided, to ensure that people were benefitting from a service that was continually developing.

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014. 

This visit was unannounced, which meant the provider and staff did not know we were coming. At the last inspection on 10 December 2013 we asked the provider to take action to make improvements to how staff were recruited and this action has been completed. We looked at staff recruitment and found that suitable checks were now carried out before staff started working in the home, to ensure that new staff were suitable to work with people who used the service. 

St Anthony’s Residential Home is registered to provide accommodation and support for 34 older people who may also have a dementia related condition. On the day of our visit, there were 32 people living in the home. The home is located on the outskirts of Birmingham and has access to public transport and there are a range of shops within walking distance of the service.

In this report, the name of the registered manager, Miss Jennifer Elizabeth Mary Julia Smith appears who was not in post and not managing the regulatory activities at this location at the time of the inspection. Their name appears because they were still identified as the registered manager on our register at the time of our visit. The provider has recruited a new manager who started working in the service and had been in post for one week at the time of our visit. It is their intention to apply to become the registered manager for the service. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service and shares the legal responsibility for meeting the requirements of the law; as does the provider.

We saw staff smiling and laughing with people and joining in activities in the home. People received visitors throughout the day and we saw they were welcomed and participated in daily events. People told us they could visit at any time and were always made to feel welcome. One visitor told us, “You’re never left waiting at the door. You’re greeted with a smile and always welcomed. We come every day and speak with everyone here. It’s like one big family.”

People were dressed in their own style and if they needed support, staff helped people to take a pride in their appearance and dress in their personal style. People were supported to have their personal care needs met. One person told us, “I like to look nice. I never know when I’m going to have visitors. It’s important to always look your best.” The staff understood how people wanted to be supported and ensured people’s privacy and dignity.

People could choose how to spend their day and they took part in activities in the home and the community. People were supported to participate in their hobbies and interests which included knitting, talking about news, attending religious services and shopping. People we spoke with told us they enjoyed the activities and one person told us, “It’s good to be with friends and do things you like. Sometimes we just chat about the news and life. I like knitting. I’d forgotten how to do it, so it was good to pick it up again.”

Staff received specific training to meet the needs of people using the service. Staff received support from the management team to develop their skills and use their knowledge to enhance the lives of people using the service. One person using the service told us, “They all know what they are doing. I’ve every confidence in them. I’ve no complaints.”

People knew who to speak to if they wanted to raise a concern and there were processes in place for responding to complaints. People we spoke with told us they were happy with the service provided and how staff provided their support. One person told us, “You can’t keep quiet. If something’s bothering you then you just say. The staff want to know about us and I know they always put things right.”

Some people who used the service did not have the ability to make decisions about some parts of their care and support. Staff had an understanding of the systems in place to protect people who could not make decisions and followed the legal requirements outlined in the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS).

On the day of our visit there were thirty-three people living at the home. No one knew we would be visiting. We spoke to three people who lived at the home, two relatives, a social worker, two members of staff, the manager and the owner.

All staff spoken to was able to tell us about people's needs and records seen confirmed that staff were knowledgeable about the people they cared for. We saw positive interactions between staff and people that lived at the home. One person said, “I talk a lot to my keyworker and we discuss my care.’’

Systems were in place to ensure that people were safeguarded from harm. People told us they felt safe living there. One person said, “It’s very safe here.’’

People told us that they did not have any concerns about the staff that provided their care and support. One person said,” Lovely staff really lovely.’’ Recruitment procedures were in place to check people's suitability to work in the service. However, we found that new staff had commenced working in the home without all checks been completed. This meant people were not safeguarded from being cared for by unsuitable staff.

Staff spoken with told us they felt supported by the manager, and had regular training so they knew how to support the people living there. One staff said, “There are lots of training opportunities here.’’

There were systems in place to monitor how the home was run, to ensure people received a quality service.