The inspection of this service took place on 3 August 2016 and was unannounced.

The Old Rectory is a care home registered to provide accommodation for up to 31 people who require personal care. On the day or our inspection there were 30 people living at the home.

There was a registered manager in post and they were 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, registered managers 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 also one of the two providers who owned the home.

People were supported by staff who knew how to keep them safe and free from the risk of harm. They knew how to recognise and report any risks, problems or potential signs of abuse. Risks were assessed and managed safely whilst promoting people’s independence. People were protected by safe systems in place for administering, storing and recording medicines.

People were supported by sufficient staff to meet their needs safely and effectively. People received flexible and responsive support. Staff were recruited through safe recruitment practices meaning that only people suitable to work in the role were appointed.

People were supported by staff who had the knowledge and skills to provide effective support. They received good training opportunities and training had been developed around the individual needs of the people who used the service. Staff competency was regularly reviewed and knowledge was updated to ensure it continued to reflect current best practices and legislation. Staff felt very well supported by the registered manager and their colleagues.

Staff understood their roles and responsibilities and worked well as a team to ensure people’s needs were met. People’s rights were protected under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and staff understood how to protect people’s human rights. The registered manager and the staff team were committed to offering a service that was centred on people’s individual needs. People were offered choices as to how they lived their lives and staff recognised the importance of people making their own decisions

People enjoyed a variety of nutritious, home cooked meals that met their individual dietary requirements and preferences. Mealtimes were a relaxed and sociable experience for people. People were offered choices and alternatives. Drinks were readily available throughout the day.

Staff worked with healthcare professionals when required to ensure people’s continued good health and wellbeing. A healthcare professional told us that they considered that the staff delivered very high standards of care and support. This joint working ensured people’s needs were met consistently and efficiently.

People were supported by staff who were extremely kind and caring. People enjoyed positive relationships with staff based on mutual respect and trust. Staff knew how people liked to be supported and provided care with a smile and sensitivity. People’s privacy and dignity was always respected. People were valued and their views and opinions were always sought and acted upon. Visitors were made welcome and people were supported to keep in contact with people who were important to them.

People enjoyed an excellent range of activities both in and out of the home. Activities were developed around the preferences, likes and hobbies of the people who used the service. Staff recognised the importance of social engagement and contact meaning that people could enjoy full and active lives. Staff were creative in developing activities designed around people’s abilities. This meant that everyone had opportunities to enjoy a full social life. Parties and social events brought people together and strong external links made the home very much

We spoke with 10 of the 24 people living in the home. People shared very positive experiences of their care and told us that they very much enjoyed life at The Old Rectory. One person said, “I absolutely love it here. I can’t speak highly of enough of it”. Another person told us, “They do all they can to make it a happy home. It’s first class quality”.

People told us they were fully involved in planning their care. They said staff knew them and their individual needs well. Care plans showed that people's needs had been assessed, and these assessments had been regularly updated. The manager told us, “We provide a very high standard of care here”. This was reflected in discussions held and observations we made.

People told us they felt very safe living at The Old Rectory. The staff demonstrated a good understanding of abuse. People told us they had not observed any poor practice and knew how to report any concerns.

We found staff had developed positive working relationships with the people in their care. People described the staff as, “Absolutely superb” and, “Wonderful caring people”. We saw that staff were patient and caring when they supported people. People considered staff were knowledgeable and skilled in their work. Staff told us they were provided with good training opportunities and were well supported in their work.

There were arrangements were in place to monitor the quality of the service.

We carried out this review to check on the care and welfare of people. There were 13 people living at the home on the day of the inspection. The home had been open since July 2012. We spoke with six people, two staff, and the home manager who was also the joint owner.

We saw that people were well presented and wore clothes that reflected their own preferences, style, and gender. We found that people were involved in making care and treatment choices throughout the day. We found that staff promoted people’s independence in different ways. One person said, “I choose everything myself, they don’t tell you what to do.”

We found that people’s care records provided an overview of people’s needs and preferences. We saw positive interactions between staff and people living at the home. One person told us, “They really look after us here.”

We found that arrangements were in place to ensure that people were safeguarded from abuse.

We found that appropriate checks were taken before staff began work. Records showed that recruitment processes were effective.

We found that arrangements were in place to start monitoring the quality of the service. All the people we spoke with told us they knew how to complain although they had no concerns. One person said, “I would speak to the owners, but I have nothing to complain about.”