Antokol is owned by a Polish charity and was established by Polish residents after the second World War. It has a strong Polish ethos and mainly, but not exclusively, provides care and support to people with strong Polish links. Antokol is set on three floors, ground and first floor are for people who live in the home and third floor is staff accommodation. The home provides residential, nursing and dementia care for up to 34 older people. On the day of the inspection there were 31 people living in the home. We were assisted by an interpreter throughout this inspection as everyone’s first language was not English.

At the last inspection, on the 3 and 4 March 2015 the service was rated Good overall and outstanding in caring. At this inspection the service demonstrated they continued to meet the regulations and fundamental standards and we found the service remained Good overall and outstanding in caring.

People told us they felt safe and well cared for at the home. Staff understood how to protect people from abuse or neglect and how to raise any concerns. Risk assessments identified any risks to each person and helped to reduce the risk of reoccurrence as well as safely promote their independence. The premises and equipment were routinely checked to ensure people’s safety. People and their relatives told us there were enough staff at all times to meet people’s needs. Medicines were safely stored and managed. People’s health needs were addressed.

Staff received sufficient training and support to meet people’s needs. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff support them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service support this practice.

People and their relatives all told us the service was distinctively caring. We observed people to be very happy and engaged throughout the day with staff and each other. We saw many examples of people laughing together and sharing jokes throughout the inspection. People spoke with a sense of community and belonging. There was a visible strong person centred culture at the home; care was provided on an individual basis and was not task centred. Staff spoke with enthusiasm about their work. They spoke with people affectionately and respectfully and were aware of each person’s needs and preferences. The service was committed to delivering dignified end of life care, in which people’s end of life wishes were respected and their spiritual needs were recognised and met.

People’s care plans were accurate and update and reflected their needs and preferences to ensure they received the support they required. People were offered a range of things to do to encourage interaction and stimulation.

People using the service felt able to speak to the manager or other staff to raise any issues or concerns. The home sought the views of people living there, their relatives and visiting professionals to consider ways to improve the home. There were systems in place to help ensure the safety and quality of the service provided. The manager knew the people living there very well and was described as approachable and committed to providing good care by people, relatives and the staff at the home.

Further information is in the detailed findings in the rest of the report.

People told us that the staff were very supportive and that they always came quickly when they called for assistance. They said they knew there was a care plan for them and that they had been consulted about their care needs. People said they were very happy at the home. One person said, “I love it here.”

At our visit we found that people and relatives were involved in the care, and the provider acted in accordance with their wishes and the legal requirements. Staff were recruited appropriately and people experienced care that met their needs. There were appropriate quality monitoring measures in place and feedback was obtained from people who used the service, their relatives, staff and other professionals involved in the delivery of care.

People told us what it was like to live at this home and described how they were treated by

staff and their involvement in making choices about their care. They also told us about the

quality and choice of food and drink available. This was because this inspection was part

of a themed inspection programme to assess whether older people living in care homes

are treated with dignity and respect and whether their nutritional needs are met.

The inspection team was led by a CQC inspector joined by an Expert by Experience,

people who have experience of using services and who can provide that perspective.

We used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI). SOFI is a specific way

of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with

us.

People said they were happy and felt safe at the home. A relative of a person using the service described the home as ‘excellent’ and said, “the staff here are very caring”. The people we spoke with said that staff were kind and looked after their needs. They told us they were happy and satisfied with the service.

People told us that they were happy with the care at the home. They said that they were well cared for and that the staff were friendly and supportive.

People told us that they were happy with the care at the home. They said that they were well cared for and that the staff were friendly and supportive.

However, on our visit we found a number of concerns with the cleanliness and infection control, and safety and suitability of premises. For these areas we have asked for immediate improvement.

This inspection took place on the 03 and 04 March 2015 and was unannounced. At the last inspection on 23 April 2013 the provider met all the requirements for the regulations we inspected.

Antokol is owned by a Polish charity and was established by Polish residents after the second World War. It has a strong Polish ethos and mainly but not exclusively provides care and support to people with strong Polish links. Antokol is set on three floors, ground and first floor are for people who live in the home and third floor is staff accommodation. The home provides residential, nursing and dementia care for up to 34 older people. On the day of the inspection there were 31 people living in the home. We were assisted by interpreters at this inspection as everyone’s first language was not English.

A newly registered manager was in post since the last inspection. They had previously worked as the deputy manager at the service. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission 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 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People told us they felt safe and well looked after at the service. Staff understood signs of abuse or neglect and knew how to report concerns. Individual risks to people were identified and monitored. There were no concerns about pressure ulcers and there had been no significant falls or injuries.

There were processes in place to manage emergencies. The premises and equipment including emergency equipment were routinely checked and maintained.

There were enough suitably qualified staff to meet people’s needs. People told us staff came promptly when they needed them and call bells were answered promptly. Adequate recruitment checks were in place before staff started work. Medicines were administered safely and risks of infection were minimised as the service was regularly cleaned and procedures for infection control were in place and followed.

Staff received suitable training and support to enable them to carry out their role. People were asked for their consent before they were given care. People’s capacity to make decisions was assessed in line with guidance and the law. The manager was aware of recent change to the law with regard to Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards authorisations.

People had plenty to eat and drink. They told us they enjoyed the food and there was plenty of choice. People who were nursed in bed had a dedicated meal time to ensure they could eat at their own pace. Those at risk of malnutrition or dehydration were monitored and their weight checked regularly. People had access to a wide range of health and social care professionals to meet their health needs.

People told us the staff were caring, kind and gentle. We observed warm conversations between staff and people at the service. People were not rushed and their privacy and dignity was respected. Throughout the inspection we saw examples of care being provided by enthusiastic staff that were focussed on people’s individual needs. Relatives told us they had found somewhere with a sense of community. Professionals commented on the distinctive caring ethos and a health professional remarked on the importance staff placed on person centred care. People told us they were involved in the planning and review of their care. People’s end of life care was sensitively and appropriately managed.

People’s needs were assessed to ensure they could be safely met. They received planned care and support that met their needs. There was a regular activities programme with a range of group and individual activities on offer. We observed activities were well attended and enjoyed. Some people had formed a group that met for a social tea.

People, their relatives and staff all told us the service was well led. The management team looked for ways for the service to improve and linked with the local authority for training and support. The views of people at the service, relatives, staff and visiting professionals were sought and used to make improvements. People knew how and where to complain if they had a problem. There had been no formal complaints since the last inspection. There were systems in place to monitor the quality of the service and areas identified that needed action were followed up promptly.