This comprehensive inspection took place on 04 January 2019 and was unannounced.

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

Stuart House is registered to provide accommodation and personal care for up to 11 people with mental health needs and learning disabilities who do not require nursing care. At the time of our inspection, two people lived in the home.

At our last inspection on 28 March 2017, we rated the service Good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of Good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

People were protected against the risk of abuse, they felt safe and staff recognised the signs of abuse or neglect and what to look out for. Management and staff understood their role and responsibilities to report any concerns and were confident in doing so.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

There were risk assessments in place to identify and reduce risks that may be involved when meeting people’s needs. Risk assessments related to people’s mental health and details of how the risks could be reduced. This enabled the staff to take immediate action to minimise or prevent harm to people.

There continued to be sufficient numbers of suitable staff to meet people’s needs and promote people’s safety. Staff had been provided with relevant training and they attended regular supervision and team meetings. The provider continued to follow safe recruitment practices to help ensure staff were suitable for their job role.

We observed that staff had developed very positive relationships with people. Staff were kind and respectful, we saw that they were aware of how to respect people’s privacy and dignity.

Medicines safely. People continued to have good access to health and social care professionals when required.

People were involved in assessment and care planning processes. Their support needs, likes and lifestyle preferences had been carefully considered and were reflected within their care and support plans.

People had opportunities to follow their interests and hobbies and they were introduced to varied activities. People told us their privacy, dignity and confidentiality were maintained.

People’s feedback was sought and used to improve the care. People knew how to make a complaint and complaints were managed in accordance with the provider’s complaints policy.

The manager and provider continued to regularly assess and monitor the quality of care to ensure standards were met and maintained.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

We inspected this home on 28 March 2017. This was an unannounced inspection.

Stuart house describe itself as a rehabilitation home. Rehabilitation of people with disabilities is a process aimed at enabling them to reach and maintain their optimal physical, sensory, intellectual, psychological and social functional levels. Rehabilitation provides disabled people with the tools they need to attain independence and self-determination. Stuart House is registered to provide accommodation and personal care for up to 11 people with mental health needs who do not require nursing care. The people who used the service lived with mental health disorders and learning disabilities and needed support to understand their particular conditions; identify triggers for relapse; and learn coping strategies. At the time of our inspection, three people lived in the home.

There was a registered manager at the home. 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.

People were protected against the risk of abuse; they felt safe and staff recognised the signs of abuse or neglect and what to look out for. They understood their role and responsibilities to report any concerns and were confident in doing so.

The home had risk assessments in place to identify and reduce risks that may be involved when meeting people’s needs. There were risk assessments related to people’s mental health and details of how the risks could be reduced. This enabled the staff to take immediate action to minimise or prevent harm to people.

There were sufficient numbers of suitable staff to meet people’s needs and promote people’s safety. Staff had been provided with relevant training and they attended regular supervision and team meetings. Staff were aware of their roles and responsibilities and the lines of accountability within the home.

The registered manager followed safe recruitment practices to help ensure staff were suitable for their job role. Staff described the management as very open, supportive and approachable. Staff talked positively about their jobs.

We observed that staff had developed very positive relationships with the people who used the service. Staff were kind and respectful, we saw that they were aware of how to respect people’s privacy and dignity. People told us that they made their own choices and decisions, which were respected by staff but they found staff provided really helpful advice.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) monitors the operation of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) which applies to care homes. The registered manager understood the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty safeguards and the home complied with these requirements.

The systems for the management of medicines were followed by staff and we found that people received their medicines safely. People had good access to health and social care professionals when required.

People were involved in assessment and care planning processes. Their support needs, likes and lifestyle preferences had been carefully considered and were reflected within the care and support plans available.

People were always motivated, encouraged and supported to be actively engaged in activities inside and outside of the home. For example, people went out to their local community for shopping regularly.

Health action plans were in place and people had their physical and mental health needs regularly monitored. Regular reviews were held and people were supported to attend appointments with various health and social care professionals, to ensure they received treatment and support as required.

Staff meetings took place on a regular basis. Minutes were taken and any actions requ