Stretton Hall Nursing Home is a nursing home that provides accommodation, nursing and personal care for up to 50 older people, some of whom have dementia.

At the last inspection, the service was rated Good.

At this inspection, we found the service remained Good.

Staff had received training in how to protect people from abuse, discrimination and avoidable harm. The risks to people had been assessed, recorded and plans implemented to manage these. Staffing levels ensured people's needs could be met safely. People's medicines were handled and administered safely by competent staff.

Staff received effective induction, training and supervision to support them in performing their roles and responsibilities. People's rights under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 were understood and protected. People had enough to eat and drink and their nutritional needs were assessed and managed. Staff supported people to access healthcare services as needed.

Staff adopted a caring and compassionate approach to their work. People's involvement in decisions that affected them was encouraged. People's rights to privacy and dignity were promoted.

People and their relatives contributed to care planning and felt their views were listened to. They knew how to raise complaints and concerns, and felt comfortable doing so.

The management team promoted an open and inclusive culture within the service. People and their relatives felt the home was well managed. Staff felt well supported and were clear what was expected of them. The provider carried out quality assurance activities to assess and address the quality of the service people received.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

The inspection was carried out on 11 March 2015 and was unannounced.  At our previous inspection on 3 June 2013 we found that they were meeting the required standards.

Stretton Hall is a care home that provides accommodation and personal care for up to 50 older people, some of whom live with dementia.  There was a registered manager in post.  A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (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.

The provider had policies and procedures to ensure that people who could not make decisions for themselves were protected.  People’s human rights were protected because staff understood the policies and legislation and how to apply them.

People told us they felt safe at Stretton Hall and were protected from abuse. Staff knew how to identify if people were at risk of harm and knew what to do to ensure they were protected.

Staff were recruited through a robust procedure.  Staff were appropriately trained and skilled and provided care in a safe environment.  They all understood their roles and responsibilities, as well as the values of the provider.  The staff had also completed extensive training to ensure that the care provided to people was safe and effective to meet their needs.  Nurses had the clinical skills they needed to ensure people’s health needs were met.  Staff had effective support, induction, supervision (one to one meetings with line managers) and training.

Staff understood the needs of people and we saw that care was provided with kindness and respect.  People and their relatives spoke well of the home and the care they or their relatives received.  Staff took time to talk with people or provide activities such as music to movement, reminiscence and attending church services.  People had their individual needs met.  Staff knew people well and provided support in a timely manner.  There was sufficient food and drink available and people were assisted to eat and drink in a calm and sensitive way.

Staff and management reflected on their practice regularly.  This enabled them to learn from events and incidents to ensure people received effective care.  This also empowered staff to express their views and resolve any issues or problems which had arisen during their work.

Nurses assessed the health and care needs of people.  They provided clear verbal and written guidance for staff to meet these needs.  Staff responded to people’s changing health needs and sought the appropriate guidance or care by health and social care professionals. Medicines were managed safely to ensure people received them in accordance with their needs.

Staff were clear on how to identify and report any concerns relating to a person’s safety and welfare.  The registered manager responded to all concerns or complaints appropriately.

The senior management, staff and relatives discussed how to best support people living with dementia and what activities and changes to the home would best suit the needs of people living there.  People and staff were positive about the registered manager and their leadership.

Stretton Hall offers a welcoming atmosphere that both people who use the service and their representatives told us made them feel at home.

Not all the people we met were able to speak with us about the care they received and their experience of living in the home. Therefore we observed how staff interacted and supported people. This helped us to make a judgement on how their needs were being met.

We reviewed four care plans these were personalised and covered personal likes and dislikes.

There was a comprehensive care planning system in place which detailed the needs of people who used the service and how they would be met. The system was supported by a series of risk assessments. People who used the service and their representatives told us they were able to contribute to their care plans, these reflected their personal preferences. Staff asked people for their consent before offering them support.

We found that people who used the service were protected from the risk of abuse. This was because the provider had taken reasonable steps to identify potential abuse and acted appropriately.

There were suitable arrangements in place which ensured the safe management of medicines.

We found that there were good quality assurance systems in place and opportunities for people to tell the provider what they thought about the service and how it could be improved.