At our last inspection we rated the service good with one area rated a requires improvement. This was in relation to improvement needed for personalised care, care planning and activities. At this inspection we found that the areas which required improvement had been improved however we found that other areas now required improvement.

Wisden Court is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Wisden Court provides accommodation for up to 54 older people, this included people living with dementia. At the time of the inspection there were 48 people living there.

The service had a manager who was registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). A registered manager is a person who has registered with the CQC 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People and their relatives were mostly positive about the management team and how the home was run. There were systems in place to help identify issues and address them. However these were not always effective.

People told us that they felt safe and staff knew how to report any concerns. Medicines management needed to be improved to reduce the risk of any medicine errors. Staffing at peak times needed to be reviewed to ensure the deployment of staff helped reduce people waiting. Individual risks were assessed but the whole process needed to be recorded in a more robust way. Infection control was promoted.

People and their relatives were mostly happy with the care they received and people’s care plans were personalised. However, there were areas in regards to personalised care and recording in care plans that needed to be improved. Complaints were investigated and responded to. However, management and staff response to these needed to be further developed

Staff were recruited safely and received training and supervision. Staff knew what was expected with them and the service worked with other agencies to help develop systems in the home. The staff worked in accordance with the principles of the Mental Capacity Act.

People enjoyed their meals and maintain a healthy diet and people had access to health professionals. The building was designed in a way that people could move around as they wished and bedrooms were personalised.

People told us that staff were kind and they felt cared for. People were involved in planning their care. Confidentiality was promoted and privacy and dignity was respected and activities planning took into account what people enjoyed.

This inspection was carried out on 24 January 2017 and was unannounced. At their last inspection on 22 January 2015, they were found to be meeting the standards we inspected. At this inspection we found that they had continued to meet the standards.

Wisden Court is registered to provide accommodation for up to 50 older people who require personal care and may also be living with dementia. At the time of the inspection there were 46 people living there.

The service had a manager who was registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). A registered manager is a person who has registered with the CQC 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People felt safe and staff knew how to promote people’s safety. Their individual risks had been assessed and accidents were monitored. There were sufficient staff to meet people’s needs and they had been recruited robustly. We also found that people’s medicines were managed safely.

People were supported by staff who were trained and felt supported. We found that people were asked for their consent and the principles of the Mental Capacity Act were adhered to.

People received support with eating and drinking. Assessments were carried out and where needed referrals were made to health professionals. We found that there was regular access to health and social care professionals.

People were treated with dignity and respect and were involved in planning their care. People had an advocate available if needed to assist them in being involved in their care. Confidentiality was respected.

People received care that met their needs and their care plans gave staff guidance about how to support people safely. People’s complaints were responded to and they felt listened to.

Activities were provided, however, care staff needed further development to support these on the units. There were more outings being arranged at the request of people living at the home.

There were systems in place to monitor the quality of the service. Staff were positive about the registered manager and people felt the service was well run.

The inspection was carried out on 28 January 2015 and was unannounced. At our previous inspection on 20 September 2014 we found that they were meeting the required standards.

Wisden Court is a care home that provides accommodation and personal care for up to 46 older people, some of whom live with dementia. There was 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 legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

The CQC is required to monitor the operation of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) and to report on what we find. DoLS are put in place to protect people where they do not have capacity to make decisions and where it is considered necessary to restrict their freedom in some way, usually to protect themselves or others. At the time of the inspection the service had started to make applications to the local authority in relation to people who lived at the service. The manager and staff were familiar with their role in relation to MCA and DoLS.

People had their individual needs met. Staff knew people well and provided support in a timely manner. There was sufficient food and drink available and people were assisted to eat and drink in a calm and sensitive way.

People had regular access to visiting health and social care professionals where necessary. Staff responded to people’s changing health needs and sought the appropriate guidance or care by healthcare professionals. Medicines were managed safely to ensure people received them in accordance with their needs.

Staff were clear on how to identify and report any concerns relating to a person’s safety and welfare. The manager responded to all concerns or complaints appropriately.

Staff were recruited through a robust procedure and provided with regular training to ensure their knowledge was up to date. Staff were clear on what their role was and shared the manager’s views about the type of service they wanted to provide for people. People and staff were positive about the manager and their leadership.

During our inspection of Wisden Court on 20 September 2013, we saw that staff had made every effort to identify and act on the wishes of people who lived there. One person told us, “I decide what goes on and what I do. I have freedom of choice.”

Care plans we looked at showed that people’s needs and preferences had been thoroughly assessed, documented and reviewed. A relative of a person who lived at the home said, “I have been extremely impressed with the levels of care my [relative] receives. I cannot fault Wisden Court.”

We saw that people were provided with a healthy balanced diet and given appropriate levels of support where necessary to help them eat and drink. One person told us, “I really like the food here, it’s very tasty.”

Records showed that suitable arrangements had been put in place to ensure staff had been appropriately supported to perform their roles. One member of staff told us, “I feel generally well supported. We have regular staff meetings and I definitely have a voice here.”

The provider had put systems in place to regularly assess and monitor risks and the quality of services provided at the home.

During our inspection on 29 January 2012, we spoke with ten people who lived at Wisden Court. They were all very complimentary about the care they received and could not fault it in any way. All the people we spoke with told us they felt safe living at the home and they were able to make choices about whether they wished to participate in activities. One person told us “The staff are nice and they are always smiling” Another person said, “The staff are good and are always happy to provide us with the care we need” We observed and talked with staff who we found were very knowledgeable about the people who lived at Wisden Court. This meant they were able to understand people’s needs.

The provider had procedures in place to deal with complaints.

The people we spoke with during our visit to the service, on 06 January 2012, told us that they were happy with the quality of service provided for them and that their health and welfare needs were met. They also said that their privacy and dignity was respected and that they were complimentary of the staff, food and the variety of activities provided for them.