Avery House provides accommodation and personal care for up to 86 older people, some of whom may live with dementia. The home is a purpose built, four storey building and is located in a residential area on the outskirts of Peterborough.

At the last inspection, the service was rated Good. At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

Staff knew how to respond to possible abuse and how to reduce risks to people. There were enough staff who had been recruited properly to make sure they were suitable to work with people. Medicines were stored and administered safely.

People were cared for by staff who had received the appropriate training and had the skills and support to carry out their roles. Staff members understood and complied with the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives. Staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. People received a choice of meals, which they liked, and staff supported them to eat and drink enough. They were referred to health care professionals as needed and staff followed the advice professionals gave them.

Staff were caring and kind and treated people with respect. People were listened to and were involved in their care and what they did on a day to day basis. People’s right to privacy was maintained by the actions and care given by staff members.

People’s personal and health care needs were met and care records guided staff in how to do this. There was a large variety of activities or events for people to do and take part in during the day, and people had enough social stimulation. Complaints were investigated and responded to and people knew who to speak with if they had concerns.

People liked living at the home and staff supported them to maintain community links. Staff worked well together and felt supported by the management team. The monitoring process looked at systems throughout the home, identified issues and staff took the appropriate action to resolve these.

Further information is in the detailed findings below

Avery House is a registered care home which provides accommodation, support and non-nursing care for up to 86 people, some of whom live with dementia. There are four individual units called Windsor, Balmoral, Sandringham and Buckingham. All bedrooms have en suite facilities and there are external and internal communal areas, including dining rooms and lounges, for people and their guests to visit. Avery House is located in a residential suburb of the city of Peterborough.

A registered manager was in post at the time of this inspection. 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 the legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

The last inspection was carried out on 24 and 30 July 2013 where we found the provider was meeting the regulations.

This inspection was unannounced and was carried out on 20 October 2014 by three inspectors.

Avery House provided people with safe care and protected people from the risk of harm. People’s medication was looked after in a safe way and people were supported to take their medication as prescribed. People’s individual health and safety risks were assessed and these were well-managed. Satisfactory checks were completed during the recruitment of new staff so that only suitable staff worked at Avery House.

People received effective care to meet their individual health needs. They were supported to eat and drink sufficient amounts of food and drink. They were also supported to access a range of health care services to monitor their health and treat any health conditions that they had.

People living with dementia had their individual communication needs met so that they had become or remained settled. People’s rights in making decisions and suggestions in relation to their support and care were valued and acted on. Where people were unable to make these decisions, they were supported with this decision making process. Individual recreational and social hobbies and interests were provided to maintain and promote people’s sense of wellbeing. Staff were trained and supported to provide people with safe and appropriate support and care.

The CQC monitors the operation of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) which applies to care services. We found that people’s rights were being protected as DoLS applications were in progress and were to be submitted to the authorising agencies.

People were treated well and with respect and they and their relatives were actively involved in the review of people’s individual care plans.

People received care that was responsive to their individual needs and were supported to maintain contact with their relatives and make friends. There were also community links and people were also supported to visit local amenities. Complaints made to the registered manager were acted upon to the satisfaction of the complainant.

The care home was well-led and safe for people to live, visit and work. Staff enjoyed their work and were supported and managed to look after people in a caring and safe way. People and relatives, staff and managers made suggestions at meetings and actions were taken as a result. Other quality monitoring procedures were in place and effective action had been taken where identified improvements were needed.

We spoke with nine people who live in the home and three relatives who were visiting. Most people said the home was lovely and well decorated. They said the staff were very good and their needs were met, however some people felt there was little extra time to talk with staff.

People said that most staff members were polite, kind and respectful. They confirmed that their privacy and dignity was respected. People or their representatives were involved in their care plan and were supported to make decisions regarding their immediate care needs and wishes.

People received the care and support they required to improve their health and well-being. Care records were written in detail and provided clear guidance to staff members.

Medicines were stored appropriately and records were maintained to show all storage areas were kept at the correct temperature. Administration records were kept and people received their medicines in a safe way.

Information showed there were enough care staff members available. One person using the service said there were enough staff available to meet their needs, but that sometimes it could be difficult to attract their attention.

Systems were in place to regularly check and monitor the way the service was run.