The inspection took place on 30 March 2017 and was unannounced. We returned on 5 April 2017 to complete the inspection.

The last inspection of this service was in October 2014 and no concerns were found.

The service provides personal care for up to 14 people. When we visited there were 13 people living at the home and there was a registered manager. 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 was also the registered provider and had run the service for 14 years. People spoke very highly of her and she provided good leadership, leading by example.

The home is located on the main road through Marchwood and has parking. The lounge and dining area occupy one large space which opens onto an accessible garden. The accommodation is over two floors and there is a passenger lift and stairs to the first floor. Some rooms have full en-suites and some have a toilet and a washbasin.

This service has always provided safe and caring support which is responsive to people’s needs. The service has consistently complied with statutory regulations. Everyone we spoke with gave positive feedback about the service. Common themes were that it was homely and welcoming and staff and the registered manager knew people really well and cared about their wellbeing. Evidence we gathered during our inspection supported the feedback given to us.

There was a relaxed and happy atmosphere in the home and staff interacted well with people. Staff were respectful and friendly and clearly had a good understanding of people’s needs and preferences. They paid attention to small details to enhance people’s comfort.

People were safely cared for as staff understood how to protect vulnerable adults and followed procedures to keep them safe. Risk to people’s health and welfare was assessed, understood and acted upon. Staff safely supported people to take their prescribed medication and staff sought advice where necessary when they needed support about people’s health care needs.

There were sufficient numbers of staff employed and they were suitably recruited, trained and supported to meet the needs of the people they cared for. Staff respected people's views and wishes and observed and followed The Mental Capacity Act 2005. This ensured they protected people’s rights.

There were good quality assurance systems within the home to ensure they maintained high standards.

The inspection took place on 23 October 2014 and was unannounced.

The last inspection of this service was in November 2013 and no concerns were found

The service provides personal care for up to 14 people. When we visited there were 13 people living at the home and there was a registered manager. 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 home is located on the main road through Marchwood, with parking. The lounge and dining area occupy one large space which opens onto an accessible garden. The accommodation is over two floors and there is a passenger lift and stairs to the first floor. Some rooms have full en-suites and some have a toilet and a washbasin.

The home provided personalised care and the environment was homely and cheerful. People living at the home, their visitors and visiting health and social care professionals were all complimentary about the quality of care and the support provided by the registered manager and staff. There was a strong focus on understanding people’s life history and goals for living at the home.

People told us they felt safe and liked living at the home, and staff were kind and compassionate, treating people with respect and dignity. People’s safety was promoted through individualised risk assessments and the home had made provision for emergency situations.

Staff recruitment processes were robust and there were sufficient staff, with the right skills to care for people. Staff understood their roles and responsibilities in relation to providing care, and demonstrated a strong commitment to care for people in the way they wished. They were responsive to people’s specific needs and tailored care for each individual. Staff worked well as a team and were supported to develop their skills and acquire further qualifications.

People’s health needs were looked after, and medical advice and treatment was sought promptly. The home involved health and social care professionals when necessary, following their advice and guidance. This included making decisions on behalf of people when they lacked the mental capacity to make decisions for themselves about important matters.

The home aimed to enable people to maintain their independence and socialise freely as much as possible. The Care Quality Commission monitors the operation of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards which applies to care homes and people were cared for without restrictions on their movement.

Governance systems were in place with regular audits of the service and from organisations such as the fire authority. The home implemented any recommendations or requirements to promote continuing improvements.

At the time of our inspection there was no registered manager employed at Avondale Lodge Care Home. However, the previous manager had not deregistered with CQC at the time of the inspection; therefore their name still remains on any reports until such time that this information is received. The provider had failed to notify the Care Quality Commission of other incidents which is a requirement of their registration.

During our visit we spoke with four people who used the service and the relatives of four people. Everybody was very complementary of the care they, or their family member, received. People told us that they decided how they wanted to spend their day and could ask for help and support if they needed it. One of the people we spoke with said: "I decide when I get up and go to bed."

One of the relatives we spoke with said: “The thing that impressed me most of all is the standard of care and the attitude of the (staff).” Another said: "My report would go with a bunch of red roses with a bow on."

We saw that staff treated people with dignity and respect and supported them in a professional and caring way. Activities were planned for people both in the home and in the community. One person told us:”There is always something going on, people coming in and out.”

We found there were some gaps in safeguarding training for staff and some of the policies that staff may need to refer to were out of date. The service had also failed to inform us of some incidents.

At the time of our inspection there was no registered manager employed at Avondale Lodge Care Home. However, the previous manager was in the process of de-registering; therefore their name remains on any reports until the process has been completed. A new manager had made application to become the registered manager.

During this inspection we spoke with five people who used the service, with two staff and with the manager.

People were happy with the service provided and we saw that staff interacted well with people in their care and talked positively about their work. One person said: "The carers always listen to me and help me". Another person said: "Food choices are good, they always make sure I eat something that I like".

People's needs were assessed and care was delivered in line with their care plans. There were policies and procedures in place to ensure that the safety and suitability of the premises was maintained. These were understood and followed by staff.

The premises were clean, warm and comfortable. We were able to move around easily and there was enough space for people to be together for communal activities or, if they wished, to be in private to see visitors. People using the service told us that the home was always warm and clean.

There was an effective system in place to deal appropriately with comments and complaints made by people, or persons acting on their behalf.