Willow Lodge Nursing Home provides nursing and personal care for up to 27 people. The service specialises in supporting older people living with dementia or mental ill health. At the time of our inspection there were 22 people residing at the home.

Since our last inspection of Willow Lodge Nursing Home in July 2014 the service has been taken over by a new provider Heatherwood Nursing Home Ltd. The home was re-registered by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in November 2016. Consequently, this inspection represents the service’s inaugural inspection and rating.

The service is required to have a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are 'registered persons'. Registered persons have a legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act and associated Regulations about how the service is run. The previous registered manager left the service in January 2017. A new permanent home manager was appointed immediately and at the time of this inspection was waiting to hear the outcome of their registered manager application to the CQC.

People and their relatives told us they were happy with the care the service provided at Willow Lodge. We saw staff looked after people in a way which was kind and caring. Staff had built caring and friendly relationships with people and their relatives. Our discussions with people living in the home, their relatives and community health care professionals supported this.

There were robust procedures in place to safeguard people from harm and abuse. Staff were familiar with how to recognise and report abuse. The provider assessed and managed risks to people’s safety in a way that considered their individual needs. Recruitment procedures were designed to prevent people from being cared for by unsuitable staff. There were enough staff to keep people safe. The premises and equipment were safe for people to use because managers and staff routinely carried out health and safety checks. Medicines were managed safely and people received them as prescribed.

Staff received appropriate training and support to ensure they had the knowledge and skills needed to perform their roles effectively. People were supported to eat and drink enough to meet their dietary needs and preferences. They also received the support they needed to stay healthy and to access healthcare services.

People received personalised support that was responsive to their individual needs. Each person had an up to date and personalised care plan, which set out how their care and support needs should be met by staff. This meant people were supported by staff who knew them well and understood their needs, preferences and interests. We saw staff were caring and treated people well and ensured their privacy and dignity were met. Staff also encouraged people to actively participate in meaningful leisure activities that reflected their social interests and to maintain relationships with people that mattered to them.

The new home manager provided good leadership. People felt comfortable raising any issues they might have about the home with the manager. The service had arrangements in place to deal with people’s concerns and complaints appropriately. The provider also routinely gathered feedback from people living in the home, their relatives and staff. This feedback alongside the provider’s own audits and quality checks was used to continually assess, monitor and improve the quality of the service they provided.