About the service:

Stoneleigh House is a large stone built property which has been converted and extended. It is located approximately three miles from Oldham town centre. Stoneleigh provides accommodation and personal care for up to 31 people. There were 27 people accommodated at the home on the day of the inspection.

People’s experience of using this service:

We found the service had improved safety by ensuring all radiators were covered to prevent possible burns.

We examined three staff files. Two files contained all the documents to show the service recruited safely. However, for one file we saw there were no references which the manager said must have been mislaid. The day after the inspection the registered manager found one of the references. We recommended the provider recruited staff safely and ensured two references were always provided for inspection, as detailed in their policy.

Staff had received safeguarding training and knew how to identify and report any concerns. Accidents, incidents and falls had been documented consistently, with audits completed to look for trends and help prevent a reoccurrence.

We recommended that the provider looked at best practice for the use of signage to aid people with dementia better understand their surroundings.

Staff had received sufficient training and ongoing support to help them carry out their roles.

Care plans were sufficiently well developed to provide care staff with sufficient details to deliver care.

People who used the service told us food served at the home was good and there was a choice of meals.

The equipment at the home was well maintained and the home was warm, clean and in reasonable decorative order.

People told us staff were caring and responded to their needs.

For more details please see the full report either below or on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection: At the last inspection (report published 26/03/2018) the service was rated as good with a breach of the regulations for unsafe temperatures of some radiators.

Why we inspected: This inspection was part of our scheduled plan of visiting services to check the safety and quality of care people received. As the home was in breach of a regulation we returned within 12 months to check the necessary improvements had been made.

Follow up: We will continue to monitor information and intelligence we receive about the home to ensure care remains safe and of good quality. We will return to re-inspect in line with our inspection timescales for good services, however if any information of concern is received, we may inspect sooner.

This inspection took place on 23 January 2018 and was unannounced. We last inspected the service in October 2016 and rated the service as 'Requires Improvement.' At the last inspection we found one breach of the Health and Social care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. This related to the lack of security on entering the premises, as we were able to gain entry and walk throughout the whole building without the knowledge of staff. At this inspection we saw improvements had been made to the security of the building.

At this inspection we found that in some parts of the building radiators were left uncovered and were hot to the touch. This presented a risk to people using the service, visitors and staff. This was a breach of Regulation 12 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014: the registered person must ensure that premises are safe. We found no other areas of concern at Stoneleigh House so have rated safety at the service as good overall.

Stoneleigh House is a 'care home'. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Stoneleigh house is a large stone built property which has been converted and extended. It is located in the Springhead area of Oldham, approximately three miles from Oldham town centre. The service is registered to provide accommodation for people who require nursing or personal care, and can accommodate up to 31 people. At the time of our inspection there were 26 people living at Stoneleigh House.

The service had a registered manager in place. 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.

Risks in relation to people's daily lives were identified, assessed and planned to minimise the risk of harm whilst helping people to be as independent as possible.

Meals were appetising and people were offered a choice in line with their dietary requirements and

preferences. Staff were available to support people with their meals.

The service had identified the minimum numbers of staff required to meet people's needs and these were being met.

Care plans were well organised and contained clear information. Care planning was reviewed regularly and people's changing needs were recorded.

Risks in relation to people's daily life were assessed and planned for to minimise the risk of harm. People were supported by staff who knew how to recognise abuse and how to respond to concerns.

The service held appropriate policies to support staff with current guidance. Mandatory training was provided to all staff with regular updates provided. The registered manager had a record which provided them with an overview of staff training needs.

The manager was supported by an assistant manager, senior carers and a team of motivated care staff. There were regular audits of many aspects of the service delivery in place and the provider monitored the progress of the service against desired objectives.

This inspection was conducted by one inspector, and took place on 26 and 27 October 2016. Our visit on the 26 October was unannounced. We last inspected the home in September 2013. At that inspection we found the service was meeting all the regulations that we reviewed.

The service is registered to provide accommodation for persons who require nursing or personal care, and can accommodate up to 31 people. At the time of our inspection there were 22 people living at Stoneleigh House.

Stoneleigh House is a large stone built property which has been converted and extended. It is located in the Springhead area of Oldham, approximately three miles from Oldham town centre. Most of the bedrooms were single, but there were two shared rooms. However, at the time of our inspection one of these rooms was unoccupied, and just one person occupied the second. All bedrooms had sinks and ensuite toilets.

The home had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) who was present when we inspected. A registered manager is a person who has registered with CQC 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 found one breach of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. This related to the lack of security on entering the building, as we were able to gain entry without the knowledge of the staff, and walk throughout the whole of the building. You can see what action we asked the provider to take at the back of this report.

The home was well maintained. Bedrooms, dining rooms, lounges, bathrooms and toilets were clean and warm. Communal areas and corridors were kept free of any clutter to minimise the risk of accidents.

People who used the service told us they felt safe. When we spoke to staff, they were able to tell us how they ensured that people were protected from harm. We saw that recruitment procedures were sufficiently robust to help ensure that people were protected from the risk of unsuitable staff being recruited.

People were supported by a stable staff team who were knowledgeable and well trained. They had worked together for a number of years and knew the people who used the service well. We saw that there were enough staff and people told us that the staffing ratio reflected the needs of the residents. The staff we spoke with had a good understanding of people’s individual needs and the support they required.

Where risk was identified, plans were put into place to minimise harm. Plans were detailed and subject to regular review. We saw that actions taken had reduced or eliminated risk, but this was not always reflected in care plans.

There were appropriate systems in place for the safe administration of people’s medicines.

People who used the service told us the food was excellent. Attention was paid to dietary requirements and we saw the food looked and smelled appetising.

We saw that arrangements were in place to assess whether people were able to consent to care and treatment, and people were offered choices about how their care was delivered.

Where health needs were identified, the staff at Stoneleigh liaised with appropriate health personnel, such as doctors, district nurses and dieticians to ensure that health needs were not neglected.

People were treated in a caring and compassionate manner, and were complimentary about the care they received at Stoneleigh House. One person told us, “The staff really know how to look after us. All of them are kind and caring, and always smiling”, however, they told us that there was often little for them to do.

Systems were in place to ensure that people at the end of life received appropriate care in accordance with their wishes, and were supported with the relevant healthcare as needed.

Care plans documented people’s interests and

During our visit to Stoneleigh we spoke, in private, with three people who were using the service.

All the people we spoke with were positive about the care they received from the staff team at the home. General comments included "I'm so happy here"; "staff are lovely, they would do anything for you, you only have to ask"; and "very good indeed".

People told us they were treated respectfully and had their privacy and dignity maintained.

People who used the service told us they were involved in discussions about the way in which their care needs were met. They also reported positively on the competency and attitude of the staff. One person said "staff are all very good indeed, [I have] no criticism against them and they often go out of their way to help".

People told us they felt safe living at Stoneleigh and that they could complain if necessary. One person, when asked what the best thing about the home was, replied "the idea that we are looked after and safe".

People told us they were very happy with the food provided at Stoneleigh. They told us there was a choice at each meal time and that snacks and drinks were always available.

During this inspection we spoke to three people who used the service, four members of the care staff and a visiting health care professional. Everyone we spoke with was positive about the care and support provided at the home. Comments from people using the service included: – "[staff] treated me very well indeed"; "[staff are] very open and very helpful … You can talk to any of them" and "all are so friendly with you and help with anything you need doing".

People had written individualised plans of care that were regularly reviewed. People told us they were involved in discussion about the way they wanted their care needs to be met.

The home had appropriate procedures, which were followed, in connection with the receipt, storage and administration of medication.

Staff were vetted as part of the recruitment process to help minimise the possibility of employing people who may be unsuitable.

There were checks on the quality of the service provided and written plans to rectify any areas of weakness and further improve the care and support provided.