The Lilacs Residential home provides care and accommodation for up to 17 older people who may be living with dementia. This inspection took place on 13 and 14 February 2017 and was unannounced. The inspection team consisted of one inspector on both days.

At the last inspection, the service was rated Good. At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

The service was not safe. The service’s recruitment process ensured that appropriate checks were carried out before staff commenced employment. However it was noted that the service needed to review the staff records on regular a basis, as we found folders that contained information that no longer up to date. There were sufficient staff on duty to meet the needs of people and keep them safe from potential harm or abuse. People’s health and wellbeing needs were assessed and reviewed to minimise risk to people’s health. Medication was well managed and people received they medication in a timely manner.

The service was effective. People were cared for and supported by staff who had received appropriate training to meet their needs. The registered manager had a good understanding of their responsibilities in relation to the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards. People were supported to eat and drink enough to ensure they maintained a balanced diet and referrals to healthcare professionals were made when required.

The service was caring. Staff cared for people in an empathetic and kind manner. Staff had a good understanding of people’s preferences of care. Staff always worked hard to promote people’s independence through encouraging and supporting people to make informed decisions.

The service was responsive. People and their relatives were involved in the planning and review of their care. Care plans were reviewed on a regular basis and when there was a change in care needs. People were supported to follow their interests and participate in social activities. The service responded to complaints received in a timely manner.

The service was well-led. Staff, people and their relatives spoke very highly of the registered manager and the provider who they informed us to be supportive and worked hard to provide an exceptional service. The service had systems in place to monitor and provide good care and these were reviewed on a regular basis. The registered manager acknowledged that some of the systems and processes needed to be improved; notable with staff’s personal folders and some of the documentation was no longer up to date.

The Inspection took place on the 23 June 2015.

The Lilacs Residential Home provides accommodation and personal care without nursing for up to 17 persons who may be living with dementia. At the time of our inspection 17 people were living at the service.

The service had a registered manager. 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.

Care and treatment was planned and delivered in a way that was intended to ensure people's safety and welfare. People were cared for safely by staff who had been recruited and employed after appropriate checks had been completed. People’s needs were met by sufficient numbers of staff. Medication was dispensed by staff who had received training to do so.

People were safeguarded from the potential of harm and their freedoms protected. Staff were provided with training in Safeguarding Adults from abuse, Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). The manager was up-to-date with recent changes to the law regarding DoLS and knew how to make a referral if required.

People had sufficient amounts to eat and drink to ensure that their dietary and nutrition needs were met. The service worked well with other professionals to ensure that people's health needs were met. People's care records showed that, where appropriate, support and guidance was sought from health care professionals, including a doctor and district nurse.

Staff were attentive to people's needs. Staff were able to demonstrate that they knew people well. Staff treated people with dignity and respect.

People were provided with the opportunity to participate in activities which interested them. These activities were diverse to meet people’s social needs. People knew how to make a complaint and complaints had been resolved efficiently and quickly.

The service had a number of ways of gathering people’s views including using questionnaires and by talking with people, staff, and relatives. The manager carried out a number of quality monitoring audits to help ensure the service was running effectively and to make improvements.

When we inspected The Lilacs Residential Home in October 2012 we found them to be non-compliant in the management of medicines, supporting workers and records. We visited the service in August 2013 and found that there had been improvements made in all areas of non-compliance. People told us that they were very happy with the care they received. They said that the provider and the staff were very friendly, caring and kind. The care plans were detailed and informative. They included risk assessments and management plans for all areas of identified risks. People told us that the food was “scrumptious” and “home cooked”.

People told us they felt safe. The provider had dealt with safeguarding issues appropriately but had not always recorded them fully. Medicine storage had improved and the temperature of medicine storage was now recorded. Staff had been safely recruited. Training had improved and most staff had received updates in core subjects in the past 12 months. Seven of the home’s eight staff had attained a national vocational qualification in care at level 2 or above. Supervision records had improved and staff told us that they were well supported to do their work. Records had improved and the care plans now included all aspects of individual’s care needs.

We spoke with four people who use the service. Comments were positive and included "I like it here very much", "The staff are very nice nothing is too much trouble" and "It's lovely here." We also spoke with three relatives. Relatives were very complimentary about the care and support provided for their member of family. They confirmed to us that in their opinion the care needs of their member of family were being met and that they found the overall level of care provided to be proactive and to a good standard. Relatives confirmed that they were always kept informed about forthcoming appointments and the outcomes.

Our visit showed that appropriate arrangements were in place for people to have their privacy, dignity and independence respected. We found that people who use the service received safe and appropriate care that met their needs. In addition we found that there were systems in place to assess and monitor the quality of the service. Records also showed that staff received regular supervision and an annual appraisal.

We found that further improvements were required by the provider to ensure that appropriate arrangements were in place for the safe storage and recording of medicines. Improvements were also required for staff to receive training and/or refresher training in core subject areas. Our visit also highlighted that improvements were required to ensure that an accurate record for each person living at the home was in place.