This inspection took place on 4July 2017 and was unannounced. At our last inspection in March 2015, the service was rated as good.

Athenaeum Residential Care Home is owned by Brownlow Enterprises Limited. The home provides accommodation and personal care for up to 21 older people. On the day of our visit there were 20 people living in the home.

There was a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with 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 were positive about the service and the staff who supported them. People told us they liked the staff that supported them and that they were treated with dignity and kindness.

Staff treated people with respect and as individuals with different needs and preferences. The care records contained information about how to provide support, what the person liked, disliked and their preferences. People who used the service along with families and friends had completed a life history with information about what was important to people. The staff we spoke with told us this information helped them to understand the person.

The care staff demonstrated a good knowledge of people’s care needs, significant people and events in their lives, and their daily routines and preferences. They also understood the provider’s safeguarding procedures and could explain how they would protect people if they had any concerns.

There were sufficient numbers of suitably qualified, skilled and experienced staff to care for the number of people with complex needs in the home. People told us they never had to wait for assistance. The atmosphere in the service was calm and relaxed and staff did not appear to be rushed.

Robust recruitment and selection procedures were in place and appropriate checks had been undertaken before staff began work. Medicines were managed safely. Seniors staff had detailed guidance to follow when administering medicines. Staff completed extensive training to ensure that the care provided to people was safe and effective.

There was an open and transparent culture and encouragement for people to provide feedback. The provider took account of complaints and comments to improve the service. A complaints book, policy and procedure were in place. People told us they were aware of how to make a complaint and were confident they could express any concerns and these would be addressed.

CQC monitors the operation of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) and reports on what we find. DoLS are a code of practice to supplement the main Mental Capacity Act 2005. These safeguards protect the rights of adults by ensuring that if there are restrictions on their freedom and liberty these are assessed by appropriately trained professionals. The manager had knowledge of the MCA 2005 and DoLS legislation and appropriate referrals for DoLS authorisation had been made so that people’s rights would be protected.

The management team provided good leadership and people using the service, relatives and staff told us they were approachable, visible and supportive. We saw that regular audits were carried out by the registered manager to monitor the quality of care.

Care staff received regular supervision and appraisal from their manager. These processes gave staff an opportunity to discuss their performance and identify any further training they required.

The staff in the home organised a range of activities that provided entertainment and stimulation for people living in the home.

The home was kept clean and well maintained.

We inspected Antheneum residential home on the 10 March 2015. This was an unannounced inspection which meant the staff and the provider did not know we would be visiting.

Before we visited the home we checked the information that we held about the service and the service provider. This included statutory notifications and safeguarding alerts. No concerns had been raised and the service met the regulations we inspected against at their last inspection which took place on 13 June 2013.

Athenaeum Residential Care Home is owned by Brownlow Enterprises Limited. The home provides accommodation and personal care for up to 21 older people. On the day of our visit there were 20 people living in the home.

People who used the service were supported by staff that were kind, caring and respectful of their privacy.

People who needed assistance with meal preparation were supported and encouraged to make choices about what they ate and drank. The care staff we spoke with demonstrated a good knowledge of people’s care needs, significant people and events in their lives, and their daily routines and preferences. They also understood the provider’s safeguarding procedures and could explain how they would protect people if they had any concerns.

Staff spoke positively about the culture and management of the service. Staff said that they enjoyed their jobs and described management as supportive. Staff confirmed they were able to raise issues and make suggestions about the way the service was provided in one-to-ones and staff meetings and these were taken seriously and discussed.

The registered manager had been in place since August 2013 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

The registered manager provided good leadership and people using the service, healthcare professionals, relatives and staff told us the manager promoted high standards of care.

There were safeguards in place to help protect the people who lived there. People were able to make choices about the way in which they were cared for and the staff listened to them and knew their needs well. The staff had the training and support they needed. Relatives of people living at the home were happy with the service. There was evidence that the staff and manager at the home had been involved in reviewing and monitoring the quality of the service to make sure it improved.

The procedures to manage risks associated with the administration of medicines were followed by staff working at the service. There were suitable arrangements for the safe storage, management and disposal of medicines

Staffing levels were sufficient to meet people’s needs. Recruitment practices were safe and relevant checks had been completed before staff worked at the home.

CQC monitors the operation of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005 Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) and reports on what we find. DoLS are a code of practice to supplement the main Mental Capacity Act 2005. These safeguards protect the rights of adults by ensuring that if there are restrictions on their freedom and liberty these are assessed by appropriately trained professionals. The manager had knowledge of the MCA 2005 and DoLs legislation and referrals for a DoLS authorisation had been made so that people’s rights would be protected.

There was a system in place to monitor the quality of the service and action had been taken when necessary to make any improvements.

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We observed that people using the service appeared well cared for and were dressed appropriately. We spoke with three people. They were positive about the care and support provided. One person commented that staff were "smashing” whilst another person told us they were ”happy [living] here.”

People’s care plans were up to date and reviewed regularly to ensure that people’s individual needs were met. Staff felt supported by their manager and one care worker told us that they had recently attended training on challenging behaviour. We asked them how they applied their training to their day to day caring role. They told us that when engaging with someone with challenging behaviour, they did things like adopt non-confrontational body language and not raise their voice (which might escalate a situation).

The provider told us that they held quarterly “residents meetings” to gain peoples’ feedback on service improvements. We looked at provider records and saw that one such meeting had recently taken place, attended by approximately ten people using the service. We saw that peoples’ views had been sought on areas such as staff, food and access to GPs; and that feedback had been positive. Where action was needed it had been taken.

During our inspection we spent most of the time talking to people to gain their views about the service provided by the home. We also 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 to us.

People showed signs of ‘well being’. They were appropriately dressed and seemed in good mood as they interacted with staff and colleagues. We spoke with four people who gave positive feedback about the care and support they received. They told us their privacy, dignity and independence was respected. One person told us, “you have your own privacy” and another stated, “I look after myself”.

Patients were confident that they received effective and appropriate care and treatment. Asked whether the care home was meeting their individual needs, people told us they were content and comments included, “if it was not alright here, l would tell my relative to take me out” and “I am quite happy here”.

We observed that staff supported people to have adequate nutrition and hydration. There were choices of food and drink to meet the diverse needs of people. Comments from people ranged from “the food is good” to “I choose what I want to eat”.

People confirmed they did not have any particular concerns about the care home and felt confident to express their views. They had no complaints to make about the service, with one stating “I do not have any complaints about the place".