This unannounced inspection took place on 24 May 2017. Abba Care Home is registered to provide accommodation and personal care for up to six people with mental health conditions. The home is a detached house situated within fields, a small farm and gardens. Accommodation is provided in single bedrooms. At the time of the inspection six people were using the service.

At the last inspection on 11 February 2015, the service was rated ‘Good’. At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

The service was not required to have a registered manager as the registered provider had day-to-day control of the service and was registered with the Care Quality Commission to provide the service. Registered providers 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.

Although people received medicines as prescribed, we did note an error with the administration of medicine for one person on the morning of the inspection. We have made a recommendation about this in the ‘Safe’ section of this report. Medicines were stored securely to ensure they were safe. There were risk assessments which identified risks to people and management plans had been put in place to ensure people’s health and well-being were maintained.

People consented to the care and support they received. The service complied with the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005 and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). Staff had been trained and understood their responsibilities in relation to MCA and DoLS.

People were safeguarded from the risks of abuse and improper treatment. Staff had received training on safeguarding and they were knowledgeable on the procedure to follow if they had any concerns. There were sufficient staff available to safely meet people’s needs.

People told us staff were kind and caring. We observed that staff treated people with respect and promoted their dignity. People were supported to communicate their views about how they wanted to be cared for.

People’s nutritional needs were met. People told us they enjoyed the choice of food that was available to them. People had access to food and drinks throughout the day. People were kept occupied and encouraged to participate in activities.

Staff were trained on various areas to ensure they had the relevant skills, knowledge and experience to provide good care to the people they looked after. Staff received regular support and supervision to carry out their duties effectively.

The service liaised with various healthcare professionals to meet the needs of people.

People had their individual needs assessed and their care planned in a way that met their needs. People received care that reflected their preferences and choices. Reviews were held with people and their relatives to ensure people’s support reflected their current needs.

People had opportunities to share their views and give feedback about the service and these were acted upon. The service was subjected to regular quality checks to ensure the service was of good quality and met people’s needs.

We carried out an unannounced inspection of Abba Care Home on the 11 February 2015.We last inspected Abba Care Home on 14 November 2013 and found the service was meeting the requirements of the current legislation in the outcomes assessed. These were care and welfare of people using the service, management of medicines, safety and suitability of premises, staffing and complaints. During the inspection we found the service was meeting the required legal obligations and conditions of registration.

Abba Care Home is registered to provide accommodation and personal care for up to 6 people with mental health conditions. The home is a detached house situated within five acres of fields, farms and gardens. It is located near to the small village of Weir. Accommodation is provided in single bedrooms. There are comfortable lounges, dining room, two bathrooms and a games/social room. At the time of our visit there were 6 people living in the home.

The home was managed by the registered provider who had legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People using this service and their representatives were involved in decisions about how their care and support would be provided. The registered provider and staff understood their responsibilities in promoting people's choice and decision-making under the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). CQC is required by law to monitor the operation of the DoLS. We found the location to be meeting the requirements of DoLS.

People told us they were cared for very well and they felt safe. Staff treated them well and gave them all the support they needed. One person said “I feel perfectly safe living here and the staff are very good”. People told us they determined their lifestyle and did not have to conform to any institutional practices. Routines were flexible and people had their preferred lifestyle recorded in their care records. This supported people’s varying needs being met at times that suited them and prevented institutional routines and practices occurring.

People were cared for by staff that had been recruited safely and were both trained and receiving training to support them in their duties. Staff were kept up to date with changes in people’s needs and circumstances on a daily basis. We found there were sufficient numbers of suitably qualified staff to attend to people’s needs and keep them safe

Contractual arrangements were in place to make sure staff did not gain financially from people they cared for at the home. For example, staff were not allowed to accept gifts, be involved in wills or bequests. This meant people could be confident they had some protection against financial abuse and this was closely monitored.

Individual risk assessments had been completed for all activities and were centred on the needs of the person. People’s rights to take risks were acknowledged and management strategies had been drawn up to guide staff and people using the service on how to manage identified risks.

People had their medicines when they needed it. Medicines were managed safely. We found accurate records and appropriate processes were in place for the ordering, receipt, storage, administration and disposal of medicines.

The home was warm, clean and hygienic. There were infection control policies and procedures in place and the service held a maximum five star rating for food hygiene from Environmental Health.

People told us they were satisfied with their bedrooms and living arrangements and had their privacy respected by all staff.

Each person had an individual care plan. These were sufficiently detailed to ensure people’s care was personalised and they were kept under review. People were given additional support when they required this. Referrals had been made to the relevant health and social care professionals for advice and support when people’s needs had changed. This meant people received prompt, co-ordinated and effective care.

From our observations we found staff were respectful to people, attentive to their needs and treated people with kindness in their day to day care. Activities were personalised, varied and people had good opportunities for community involvement.

People were provided with a nutritionally balanced diet. All of the people we spoke with said that the food served in the home was very good. One person told us, “The food is good and I can have what I want. There are plenty of choices.” People decided on their own menus and were involved in shopping for food.

People told us they were confident to raise any issue of concern with the provider and staff and that it would be taken seriously.

People had been encouraged to express their views and opinions of the service through regular meetings, care reviews and during day to day discussions with staff and management. There were opportunities for people to give formal feedback about the service in quality assurance surveys. Recent surveys showed overall excellent satisfaction with the service provided.

People said the management of the service was good. Staff and people using the service told us they had confidence in the registered provider and considered they were ‘listened to’.

People using the service told us they liked living at the home and were happy with the help and support they received. One person said, “I’m very well looked after, the staff are smashing.”

We found that suitable arrangements were in place for the safe keeping and handling of medicines.

We found that the home was clean, warm and well ventilated. Three people told us they liked their rooms and had brought personal items such as a television and pictures for the walls.

All the people we asked praised the staff team for the support they provided. One person said, “They’re wonderful and always there when needed, I get on well with them all.”

Although people said they would complain if necessary there had not been any complaints for several years.

People using the service told us they were happy living at Abba Care Home. One person said, “It’s like being in your own home.” Another person said, “It’s a really good home, well run.”

People using the service told us they were satisfied with the care and support they received. One person said, “We’re very well looked after, there’s always somebody to turn to if you’ve got a problem.”

We found that people felt confident to express any concerns. Members of staff had received training in safeguarding vulnerable adults and had access to appropriate policies and procedures.

We noted that all members of staff had received the training they needed in order to provide safe and effective care for people using the service.

We found that systems were in place to monitor the quality of the service provided. We saw evidence to demonstrate that people were regularly consulted about all aspects of the care and facilities provided at the home.