The Lawns is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and 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. There were 27 people of various ages living at The Lawns with multiple complex physical and health conditions. People either lived in the main house or adjourning wing or annexe.

At our last inspection 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. At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

Why the service is rated Good:

Feedback from people and their relatives was overwhelmingly positive. They complimented the caring nature of staff and felt that the service was well-led. They praised the approach of staff and stated that they felt their relatives were safe living at The Lawns. The registered managers, values and vison were embedded into the care practices of staff.

People’s needs had been assessed and their support requirements were recorded in detail to provide staff with the guidance they needed to support people. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives. Effective systems were in place to manage people’s medicines so that they received them safely and on time. People were supported to access health care services and to maintain a healthy lifestyle. The home had been accredited for the quality of their end of life care.

Sufficient numbers of staff were available to ensure people’s safety and well-being. New staff were suitably vetted and trained before they supported people. Staff had a good understanding of people’s needs and had been trained to carry out their role. Staff told us they felt supported and trained and had access to the information they needed to support people. They understood their responsibility to report concerns and poor practices.

The registered manager worked alongside staff which enabled them to have a good understanding of people’s current needs. An established staff team knew people well and could tell us about people’s support requirements and their backgrounds. People’s records were detailed, however some old information in the care plans may cause confusion and put people at risk. We were assured that plans were in place to review people’s care records and to also add more detail about the outcome of people’s assessments, consent to care and personal histories. We have made a recommendation about the management of people’s care records.

Systems were in place to identify shortfalls in the service and drive improvement. People and their relative’s views were valued and acted if any concerns had been identified.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

The inspection took place on 5 and 22 October 2015 and was unannounced. The Lawns Limited is a family run business. It offers residence for up to 30 people there were twenty nine people using the service at the time of the inspection visit. The service is a care home with 24 hour nursing care and provides accommodation for people of all ages over 18 years who require nursing and personal care, diagnostic and screening procedures, treatment of disease, and disorder or injury. The previous inspection in September 2013 showed the care home met the standards.

The registered manager was present at the time of the inspection. 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 was run. At The Lawns, the owner provider and registered manager was the same person.

People spoke positively about the service and told us if they had any concerns, they could speak to the staff team who were available 24 hours a day. The provider dealt with people’s concerns promptly and used their comments as an opportunity to enhance care. Staff encouraged people to provide feedback about the care they received. People had access to a range of activities. This ensured social inclusion and promoted an active life where people could enjoy their time at The Lawns.

The service had a good management team. Relatives were involved in their family member’s care and we observed the enthusiasm of the care staff throughout our inspection visits. The local GP, the multi-agency professionals and the staff team regularly monitored people’s welfare and care needs.

The manager had robust systems in place to assess and monitor the quality of the service to ensure people received consistent standards of care, which enhanced people’s quality of life.

People’s relatives told us there was an open door culture and the environment was welcoming. Staff told us, it was an enjoyable place to work.

People felt the staff had their best interests at heart and that they were skilled at the process of providing effective care for them. Family members and friends said the management was approachable and transparent.

Staff told us, management were supportive and open to the development of their skills and knowledge.