About the service: The Gables Rest Home is a residential care home that was providing personal care up to 24 people aged 65 and over at the time of the inspection.

What life is like for people using this service:

¿ People were supported by staff who knew how to recognise potential abuse and who they should report any concerns to. People’s care considered their risks and reduced the risk of harm and where required, had access to equipment to support them. There were enough staff on duty to meet people’s social and care needs.

¿ People had a choice of food and were supported to maintain a healthy diet in line with their needs and preferences. Staff were trained to meet people’s needs and acted promptly to refer people to healthcare professionals when required.

¿ People enjoyed positive and caring relationships with the staff team and were treated with kindness and respect. People’s independence was promoted by staff who encouraged them.

¿ People’s needs and routines were know and supported by staff who ensured these were met and respected. People and relatives knew how to complain if needed, and were confident any comments or concerns were listened and acted on.

¿ People and staff were happy with the way the service was led and managed and the provider worked well with external professionals to ensure people’s needs were met.

¿ Service management and leadership was consistent and areas for improvements were identified. The registered manager gathered people’s views and experiences and any improvements were made.

¿ We found the service met the characteristics of a “Good” rating in all areas; More information is available in the full report

Rating at last inspection: Good (report published 6 May 2016)

Why we inspected: This was a planned inspection based on previous rating.

Follow up: There will be ongoing monitoring.

The inspection took place on 16 March 2016 and was unannounced.

The home provides accommodation for a maximum of 24 people requiring personal care. There were 24 people living at the home when we visited. A registered manager was in post when we inspected 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run. The registered manager was also the registered provider for the home.

People told us they were safe. Relatives told us they had no concerns and care staff explained to us how they kept people safe.

People had confidence in the staff that supported them. Staff told us they were able to access training and received continuous supervision and support. People received their medicines on time and as prescribed.

Staff understood what it meant to obtain a person’s consent and the registered manager had acted in accordance with the law. Care staff understood the importance of obtaining a person’s consent and checked people were happy with their support before aiding them.

People liked the care staff supporting them and felt relaxed around them. People knew the care staff well as many of the care staff had worked there for some time. Care staff knew people’s individual care needs by spending time with them and getting to know their needs.

People told us care staff treated them with dignity and helped to promote their independence. Relatives visited whenever they chose to and were able to sit and spend time with their family member in an area of the home they felt comfortable within.

The registered manager used feedback to help influence services at the home. People fed back things that they would like to take up as interests as well as ideas for day trips and planned activities.

People knew the registered manager and felt able to approach them and discuss anything they needed to. The registered manager worked closely with staff and understood people’s individual needs. This ensured the registered provider understood the day to day issues within the home as well as what needed to be done. The registered manager reviewed people’s care frequently and worked with relatives to ensure that people’s care was at they expected.

On the day of inspection there were 23 people living at The Gables. We spoke with six members of staff, including the care and registered managers, four people who used the service and three relatives. We looked at policies and processes, six care records and six staff records to gain an insight into the care provided.

We saw that there were arrangements in place to act in accordance with the wishes of people who used the service. One person we spoke with said: “If I don’t want to do it (the activity) I don’t have to.”

We saw that people and their families were involved in decisions about the care provided and details of their needs and interests were included in their care records. Care plans and risk assessments were in place to ensure people received the care they needed. People told us they were happy at The Gables and staff were: “Good” to them.

People who used the service indicated that they were happy and felt safe. Staff had knowledge about safeguarding procedures followed in the home and received appropriate training.

There were suitable selection and recruitment systems in place and staff were supported with appropriate training by the provider. Staff we spoke with said they liked working there. Relatives we spoke with felt staff did a great job and one person said, “Staff are golden.”

There were no recent complaints but there was a system in place to report complaints. We saw that people were supported to make complaints if needed. Relatives we spoke with said the managers were very approachable if they had concerns.

The owners of the service have been supporting the hands-on delivery of care at The Gables for 22 years. We spoke with three members of care staff on the day we inspected and all three of them had been with the service for three years of more with one member of care staff having worked there for fifteen years. This continuity of care was reflected when observing the delivery of care.

We spoke with three people who used the service. They told us that staff were "very friendly". One person said "we couldn't wish for better proprietors." One person we spoke with said that they felt included and "didn't feel pushed out".

We found that people's needs were being assessed and reviewed regularly and that care was tailored to meet people's current needs. We also found that medicines were stored and administered appropriately and that people received their medicines as prescribed.

Staff had been trained to meet the specific needs of the people who used the service and the provider had made the appropriate checks as to a prospective member of staff's suitability before they started work with the service.

The provider had systems in place to make sure that they monitored the quality of care being provided and acted to make improvements when they had been identified.