The Manor Cottage provides accommodation and personal care for up to 26 older people. At the time of our visit there were 24 people living at the service. This inspection was unannounced. This meant the provider did not know we would be visiting.

The registered manager had left just prior to the inspection and a new manager had been deployed from one of the providers other homes where they had been working as a deputy. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service and has the legal responsibility for meeting the requirements of the law; as does the provider. 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.

At our last comprehensive inspection in December 2015 the home was rated as good.

At this inspection we found the service had maintained an overall rating of good and they had been working hard to improve the service to provide some outstanding, kind, compassionate, care practices.

Why the service is rated good

People continued to receive a service that was safe. The manager and staff understood their role and responsibilities to keep people safe from harm. People were supported to take risks, promote their independence and follow their interests. Risks were assessed and plans put in place to keep people safe. There was enough staff to safely provide care and support to people. Checks were carried out on staff before they started work to assess their suitability to support vulnerable people. Medicines were well managed and people received their medicines as prescribed.

The service remained effective in meeting people’s needs. Staff received regular supervision and the training needed to meet people’s needs. Arrangements were made for people to see a GP and other healthcare professionals when they needed to do so. The registered manager and staff understood the principles of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005 and, worked to ensure people's rights were respected. People were supported to enjoy a healthy, nutritious, balanced diet whilst promoting and respecting choice.

We were introduced to people throughout our visits and they welcomed us. People were relaxed, comfortable and confident in their home. The feedback we received from people was positive throughout. Those people who used the service expressed great satisfaction and spoke highly of all staff. Comments received from relatives included; “It is a warm, clean comfortable home. The staff are always friendly and kind. They offer me lunch and drinks when I’m there. There are so many good things about the home” and, “The staff couldn’t do more for you, it’s an excellent home”.

Staff had a good awareness of individuals' needs and treated people in a warm and respectful manner. They were knowledgeable about people's lives before they started using the service. Every effort was made to enhance this knowledge so that their life experiences remained meaningful.

People were supported to maintain their personal interests and hobbies. It was evident that a person centred approach to care had been further enhanced since our previous inspection. One relative recently wrote in a survey, “Mum has always had excellent care and kindness shown to her. Staff go above and beyond the expected”.

The service was responsive to people’s needs. People received person centred care and support. Staff monitored and responded to changes in people’s needs. They were offered a range of activities both at the service and in the local community. People were encouraged to make their views known and the service responded by making changes.

People benefitted from a service that was well led. The provider, area manager, manager and staff team maintained a clear focus on continually seeking to improve the service people received. Comprehensive qua

This inspection took place on 4 December 2014 and was unannounced. There were no concerns at the last inspection of 5 August 2013.

The Manor Cottage provides accommodation for up to 26 older people. At the time of our visit there were 26 people living at the service. There was a registered manager in post. 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 were very happy living at Manor Cottage and we received positive comments about their views and experiences throughout our visit. People felt safe because the staff were “caring and enjoyed what they did”. The registered manager listened to people and staff to ensure there were enough staff to meet people's needs. They demonstrated their responsibilities in recognising changing circumstances within the service and used a risk based approach to help ensure that staffing levels and the staff skill mix was effective.

Staff had the knowledge and skills they needed to carry out their roles effectively. They enjoyed attending training sessions and sharing what they had learnt with colleagues. The provider supported staff and the registered manager at all times.

People and their relatives told us staff were caring, kind and they “couldn’t fault them”. Staff had a good awareness of individuals' needs and treated people in a warm and respectful manner. It was very clear at the staff meeting we attended that all staff were truly committed to the people they supported. The registered manager and staff were knowledgeable about people's lives before they started using the service. Every effort was made to enhance this knowledge so that their life experiences remained meaningful.

People received appropriate care and support because there were effective systems in place to assess, plan, implement, monitor and evaluate people's needs. People were involved throughout these processes. This ensured their needs were clearly identified and the support they received was meaningful and personalised. Regular monitoring and reviews meant that referrals had been made to appropriate health and social care professionals and where necessary care and support had been changed to accurately reflect people's needs. People experienced a lifestyle which met their individual expectations, capacity and preferences.

Staff involved in this inspection demonstrated a genuine passion for the roles they performed and individual responsibilities. They really wanted to “get it right” and ensure that those living at the service were “happy and felt special”. Staff embraced new initiatives with the support of the registered manager and colleagues. They continued to look at the needs of people who used the service and ways to improve these so that people felt empowered to make positive changes.

We were greeted by staff in a warm, friendly, professional manner. The manager and staff were available throughout the day and everyone was knowledgeable about people in their care, the policies, procedures and systems in place to ensure the continued smooth running of the home. Everyone had people's best interests at the centre of their care.

Some people remembered us from previous visits to the home and others understood when we told them why we were there. One person said “I know that you are here to make sure we are looked after properly. I can tell you that it is just as good when you last visited, in fact its better”.

The manager was newly appointed this year and successfully registered with CQC in July 2013. It was evident that they were enjoying their role and with support from staff had made some positive significant changes since their appointment.

Essentially the manager had wanted to “get to know people, their families and staff”. Besides meeting people individually and providing each staff member with a one to one session, the manager also helped serve breakfast every morning.

People who used the service shared positive comments with us throughout the day. Comments included, “We have lovely staff I have been here a year and I cannot fault the home”, “We love visiting as soon as we arrived we knew this was the one” and “All of us have learnt so much in the short time the manager has been here, I see subtle positive change”.

People living in the home were relaxed, happy and comfortable in each other's company. We were introduced to people throughout the day and they welcomed us to their home.

People were positive about their experiences of living in the home. Comments included,” I have a lovely life here and feel very settled”, “My room is excellent, I enjoy my own company but always join my friends for lunch” and “The manager and staff are all super to me and I feel like this is my home”.

People were spending time in the lounges with visitors; some were enjoying the privacy of being in their own rooms whilst others were having their hair done in the homes salon.

We spent time in various parts of the home, including communal areas and individual bedrooms so that we could observe the direct care, attention and support that people received.

We spoke with and observed staff throughout our visit. They demonstrated good relationships with individuals and were knowledgeable about the care needs of those living in the home. Comments from staff included, "We all work together as a team and we want people to be happy and safe", "I think people are looked after well here and I enjoy coming to work" and "This is a lovely home and we all support people in what they want to do".

We spent some time in the company of people living in the home and spoke with them

individually. We saw staff interacted in a caring way and people responded to this.

We spent time with people that lived in the home. The atmosphere was calm, happy and relaxed. People told us that they were very happy living there and that they were looked after by ‘lovely staff’. We saw staff talking to people in a sensitive way and supporting people with their needs.