The inspection took place over two days on 1 July 2016 and 4 July 2016 and was unannounced.

The Cedars provides accommodation and personal care for up to 13 people who have mental health needs. The service does not provide nursing care. At the time of our inspection there were 12 people using the service.

There was a registered manager in post at the 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. The registered manager was supported to manage the service by regular input from the provider.

People were safe because the management team and staff understood their responsibilities identifying abuse. People received safe care that met their assessed needs.

People were safe because staff supported them to understand how to keep safe and staff knew how to manage risk effectively.

There were sufficient staff who had been recruited safely and who had the correct skills and knowledge to safely meet people’s needs.

The provider had systems in place to manage medicines and people were supported to take their prescribed medicines safely.

People’s health and social needs were managed effectively with input from relevant health care professionals and people had sufficient food and drink that met their individual needs.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) monitors the operation of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) which apply to care homes. We found the provider was following the MCA code of practice.

The registered manager and the provider supported staff to provide care that was centred on the person and staff understood their responsibility to treat people as individuals.

People were treated with kindness and respect by staff who knew them well. Staff respected people’s choices and took their preferences into account when providing support. People were encouraged to enjoy pastimes and interests of their choice and accessed the community so that they were not socially isolated.

Staff had good relationships with people who used the service and were attentive to their needs. People’s privacy and dignity was respected.

There was an open culture and the management team encouraged and supported staff to provide care that was centred on the individual.

The provider had systems in place to check the quality of the service and take the views and concerns of people and their relatives into account to make improvements to the service.

The provider had systems in place so that people could raise concerns and there were opportunities available for people or their representatives to give their feedback about the service.

The registered manager was visible and actively involved in supporting people and staff. Staff were positive about their roles and their views were valued by the manager and the provider.

We used different methods during our inspection to help us understand the experiences of people who used the service. Where some people were unable to tell us about their experiences, we used observation and noted people’s responses to staff. We saw that people appeared calm and relaxed. We saw that staff supported people in a respectful and sensitive manner. One person who used the service told us "I am happy here the staff are helpful."

People told us that they had been given the opportunity to visit the service prior to admission and their consent had been obtained before any care or treatment had been given.

We saw that staff were knowledgeable about the needs and preferences of the people who lived at the home and promoted people’s independence and choices. We saw evidence from our observations and the records we looked at that people received the support they needed to maintain their independence.

There were policies and procedures, records and monitoring systems in place for the protection of people who used the service. Staff told us about the training they had received to enable them to carry out their roles in supporting people. We were also told by staff they felt supported by the manager.

We found that the provider had systems in place to monitor and respond to any complaints received about the home.

People told us that their privacy, dignity and independence were respected and that their views on the support and care they receive were taken into account. One person said, in relation to personal care, “If I need help I can ask for it but I am very independent” and another person said “I can choose whether to go out or stay in.”

People told us that they were satisfied with the level of care and support they received at The Cedars. One person told us "I get looked after very well here."

People said they could choose whether or not to join in activities and could spend time alone in their room pursuing their own interests or going out if they preferred.

People told us when we visited that they liked the home and that they liked living there.

People also told us that they liked their rooms and found them comfortable and were happy at the home and liked the way it was presented.

One person explained to us they were involved in the choice of decoration for their room and had been able to bring personal possessions and photographs into the home.

People told us that they felt well looked after by the staff at The Cedars. One person we spoke with said "The staff are very good. They are friendly and I get on with them all."

People told us that they felt comfortable talking to the staff about any issues that they had and that the manager was also always available for them to talk to.

People told us that they experience good care and are happy with the service they receive at The Cedars. One person told us “It’s very nice here I find staff always helpful and friendly.”

One person said, in relation to personal care, “I can do most things myself but if I need help I can ask for it” and another person said “I am away on holiday next week and chose where I wanted to go.”

People told us that they were satisfied with the level of care and support they received at The Cedars. One person with whom we spoke told us "The care is very good here and the staff are lovely."

One person with whom we spoke said "The staff are very good here. They are very friendly and I always get all the help I need."

Where people were unable to provide a verbal response or tell us their experiences, for example as a result of their limited verbal communication or poor cognitive ability, we noted their non verbal cues and these indicated that people were generally relaxed and comfortable and found their experience at the Cedars to be positive.