.The Inspection took place on the 10 and 11 January 2017.

St Edith’s Court provides accommodation and personal care for up to 39 people some of whom may be living with dementia. At the time of our inspection 36 people were living at the service.

At our last inspection the service was rated as Good. At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

Care and treatment was planned and delivered in a way that was intended to ensure people's safety and welfare. People were cared for safely by staff who had been recruited and employed after appropriate checks had been completed. People’s needs were met by sufficient numbers of staff. Medication was dispensed by staff who had received training to do so.

People were safeguarded from the potential of harm and their freedoms protected. Staff were provided with training in Safeguarding Adults from abuse, Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). The manager knew how to make a referral if required.

People had sufficient amounts to eat and drink to ensure that their dietary and nutrition needs were met. People's care records showed that, where appropriate, support and guidance was sought from health care professionals, including GPs and dentists.

Staff were attentive to people's needs. Staff were able to demonstrate that they knew people well. Staff treated people with dignity and respect.

People were provided with the opportunity to participate in activities which interested them. These activities were diverse to meet people’s social needs. People knew how to make a complaint and complaints had been resolved efficiently and quickly.

The service had a number of ways of gathering people’s views including using questionnaires and by talking with people, staff, and relatives. The registered manager carried out a number of quality monitoring audits to help ensure the service was running effectively and to drive improvements.

This inspection took place on 6 October 2014 and was unannounced.

St Edith's Court provides accommodation for up to 39 people who require nursing or personal care. Each person living at St Edith’s had their own room with en-suite shower and toilet, and a small kitchenette. These are referred to as flats and each has its own door number. In addition to the flats there are four communal lounges with kitchens attached and a large communal dining room. Outside are landscaped gardens with different seating areas and walk ways.

The service has a Registered Manager in post referred to as the home manager.  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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

We saw that people were cared for by staff that been recruited appropriately and employed after appropriate checks were completed.

From records we reviewed we saw that they were regularly updated and that staff were provided with the information they needed to meet people’s needs. We saw that people's care and treatment was planned and delivered in a way that was intended to ensure people's safety and welfare.

People felt safe living at St Edith’s. Staff and the registered manager were able to explain to us what they would do to keep people safe and how they would protect their rights. We saw that the staff were provided with training in Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults from abuse, Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). The CQC is required by law to monitor the operation of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) and to report on what we find. We saw that there were policies, procedures and information available in relation to the MCA and DoLS to ensure that people who could not make decisions for themselves were protected.

We saw that staff were attentive to people's needs. Staff we spoke with were able to demonstrate they knew people well. We saw staff treated people with dignity and respect.

People who used the service were provided with the opportunity to participate in activities which interested them. From talking to people and staff we saw that these activities were diverse to meet people’s social needs.

The service worked well with other professionals to ensure that people's health needs were met.

From records we reviewed we saw that any complaints were resolved efficiently and quickly.

The service had a number of ways of gathering people’s views from holding meetings with staff, relatives and people to completing survey’s and talking to people individually.

The manager carried out a number of quality monitoring audits to ensure the service was running effectively.  

People told us that they had received good information about the care that would be provided for them. They said that the staff treated them well. One person said, “The staff are excellent. We are able to have a laugh and a joke together." People’s needs had been fully assessed. The care plans were detailed and informative. They included risk assessments and management plans for all areas of identified risks. People told us that they were very happy with the care they received at St Edith's Court.

People told us that they felt safe. One person said, "Yes, I feel very safe they look after me very well." They said that the manager and the staff were very friendly, caring and kind. Staff interaction throughout our inspection visit was good. Staff had been given information and training on safeguarding adults and they showed a good awareness of the procedure.

We found the provider had an effective complaints system available this enabled people who used the service, relatives or representatives to raise any issues or concerns they might have.

On the day of our visit we observed staff talking with people in a friendly manner. The atmosphere was lively and relaxed.

People told us that they were treated with dignity and respect. They also told us that their privacy was upheld and staff were polite. One person said to us that they "..can have a joke and laugh with the girls."

People who use the service told us that they felt safe in the home and that staff were able to meet their needs. People felt able to voice any issues and/or concerns that they may have to both staff and members of the management team. Staff told us that they feel they were well supported and worked well as a team.

Some people that we spoke with felt that the level that activities were aimed at was not always appropriate for them. For example they would like more activities that challenged their mind, such as scrabble. We discussed this with the manager who acknowledged that it was difficult to find activities that were appropriate for all people living at St Edith's Court. The manager advised that they had different activities taking place on different days.

We spoke with two relatives who told us that peoples care needs were well met.

A healthcare professional who was visiting the service at the time of our visit told us that staff were good at making timely referrals and followed advice and guidance. They also stated that they had a good working relationship with staff.

Comments from people who use the service about the care and support provided at St Edith’s Court were complimentary. People told us they were happy living at the home and that they were satisfied with the care and support provided by staff. Comments included “You can’t beat it here, it’s lovely” and “I looked at a lot of other homes before coming here and this was the best” and “I cannot fault the care and support, I have no concerns.”

People told us that they were treated well by care staff and that their privacy and dignity were respected. People also confirmed that they felt safe and that, if they had any concerns or worries, they would discuss them with their relative or a member of staff.