Westholme provides care and accommodation for up to eight people. The home specialises in the care of people who have a learning disability. On the day of our inspection there were a total of seven people using the service.

We last inspected the service in April 2015 and rated the service as ‘Good.’ At this inspection we found the service remained ‘Good’ and met all the fundamental standards we inspected against.

People who used the service made complimentary statements about the standard of care provided. They told us they liked living at the home, liked the people they lived with and they got along with staff who were friendly and helped them. We observed positive interactions between staff and people who lived at the service. Staff treated people with dignity, compassion and respect and people were encouraged to be as independent as possible.

The premises were clean and regular maintenance and periodic refurbishment was taking place. Repairs were made quickly when these were required. Checks and tests had been carried out to ensure that the premises were safe.

There were sufficient numbers of staff on duty in order to meet the present needs of people using the service. The provider had an effective recruitment and selection procedure and carried out background checks when they employed staff to make sure they were suitable to work with vulnerable people.

Accidents and incidents were appropriately recorded and risk assessments were in place. There were robust procedures in place to make sure people were protected from abuse. Staff had received training about the actions they must take if they saw or suspected that abuse was taking place. The registered manager understood their responsibilities with regard to safeguarding people at the home.

People told us they were offered a selection of meals and there were always alternatives available. Each individual’s preference was catered for and people were supported to make their own meals if they preferred. Staff ensured their nutritional needs and tastes were met.

Staff training records were up to date and staff received regular supervisions, appraisals and training / development plans were also completed. This meant that staff were properly supported to provide care to people who used the service.

People were supported to take part in interesting and meaningful activities. The service supported people to have active, interesting and meaningful lifestyles. They took part in education, leisure and social events and staff were constantly looking for more opportunities for people to enjoy. The service supported people in their relationships with others outside the home and with the local and wider community links.

People were supported to maintain good health and had access to healthcare professionals and services. People were supported and encouraged to have regular health checks and were always accompanied by staff to hospital appointments and emergencies.

People at the home were regularly asked for their views about the service and if there was anything they would like to improve. People we spoke with told us that they knew how to make a complaint, found the registered manager approachable and had no concerns about the service.

Medicines audits were carried out regularly by the registered manager and senior staff to make sure people received the treatment they needed.

The registered provider was working within the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and was following the requirements in the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

The registered manager and provider made regular checks to make sure the service was running as expected and took action where improvements were needed.

The registered provider was meeting the conditions of their registrat

We carried out this inspection on 7 January 2015 and it was unannounced.

Westholme provides care and support for up to eight people who have a learning disability. At the time of our inspection there were seven people living in the home. All those living in the home had their own bedrooms with ensuite shower rooms.

At the time of our inspection the home had a registered manager in place. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the home. 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 home is run.

We found the provider had policies and procedures in place for recognising and reporting abuse. We spoke with staff working in the home and found they were able to describe different types of abuse and how to report any concerns.

Care plans we looked at were person centred and contained appropriate risk assessments. Care plans were regularly reviewed with changes being made where required.

We saw the home was clean and tidy and the people who lived in the home were also well presented.

We saw the provider had a robust recruitment and selection process in place. We found appropriate pre-employment checks had been made including written references, Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks, and evidence of identity had also been obtained.

The home had an appropriate medication policy in place. We saw staff who dispensed medicines had received training in the management and storage of medicines. We looked at the medication administration records (MAR) and found they were completed clearly and correctly.

Staff working in the home received regular supervisions and appraisals with records of discussions held recorded in their personal files.

There was a formal complaints procedure in place which was displayed in the home so it was visible to people who used or visited the home.

We saw some of the people in the home had access to advocacy services and information was available to show how these services could be accessed.

The provider had a quality assurance system in place which was used to ensure people who used the home received the best care.