This inspection was unannounced and took place on the 12 May 2017. This was the first inspection following our registration of the services under the Health and Social Care Act in March 2017. The Callywhite Care Home provides accommodation and personal care for up to 39 older adults, which may include some people living with dementia. At the time of our visit, there were 34 people living at the service.

There was a registered manager at this service. 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 received care in a clean, safe and well maintained environment. Any equipment used for people’s care was routinely serviced and maintained up to date. Planning and contingency arrangements helped to ensure people’s safety in the event of a foreseeable emergency.

Staff understood and followed nationally recognised practice principles to help protect people from the risk of infection through cross contamination when they provided people’s care.

People’s medicines were safely managed. Known risks to people’s safety from their health condition or environment were assessed before they received care and regularly reviewed. This helped to consistently inform people’s care and related safety requirements, which staff understood and followed.

The provider’s arrangements for staff recruitment and deployment helped to ensure people were protected from the risk of harm and abuse. Staff were visible, available and provided people with prompt care and assistance when needed.

Overall people and relatives were happy with the care and meals provided. Staff supported people to maintain their health and nutrition. This was done in consultation with external health professionals and staff followed their instructions for people’s care when required.

People received care from staff who mostly understood their health conditions and related personal care requirements. This was provided by staff who were well supervised and mostly received the training they needed to ensure this. Additional staff training and competency measures together with care planning improvements in progress helped to fully ensure this.

People were provided with care in line with legislation and guidance in relation to consent. People’s consent or appropriate authorisation for their care was obtained when required. This helped to ensure people’s rights and best interests.

People received care from staff who were kind and caring. Staff treated people with respect and ensured their dignity, comfort, rights and independence in their care.

People received individualised care from staff who knew them well. Staff knew people well and had established positive relationships with people and their relatives.

People and relatives were regularly informed and involved in home life and to help agree people’s care and daily living arrangements. Care planning improvements either planned or progress helped to further info people’s care in this way.

Staff took time and communicated with people in a way that was meaningful to them. Staff understood and followed what was important to people for their care and responded promptly when people needed assistance.

People were supported to engage in social and leisure activities of their choice, within and outside the home. Changes and improvements were made or planned from people’s views about this.

Environmental adaptations enabled people’s mobility, orientation and often their recognition within their surroundings when required. Aids and arrangements to enable people’s recognition and choice at mealtimes; and to promote relatives understanding of people’s experience of life with dementia, was either agreed or planned.

People were informed and conf