Bennett Lodge is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection. Bennett Lodge does not provide nursing care. It is registered for up to 47 older people some of whom may be living with dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 47 people using the service.

At our last inspection we rated the service good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

There was a registered manager in post. 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.

The service protected people from the risk of harm and abuse. Staff were trained and demonstrated a good understanding of their responsibilities to keep people safe. There were policies and procedures in place to guide staff, and staff said they knew how to implement them. Risks were managed well, and people were supported with every-day risks to help them maintain their independence. Although people had mixed views, staffing levels were good overall, and they enabled people to access the local community. There was a robust recruitment process in place, which ensured staff were suitable to work with vulnerable people. Medication management was good and people received their medicines as prescribed. Staff had been trained, and knew people, and their medicine needs well. The service had good infection control policies, procedures and practices. The registered manager shared information with staff to ensure that lessons were learnt when things went wrong.

People received a detailed assessment of their needs before they moved into the service and their care plans were devised from the assessment process. Staff received a good induction, and were well trained and supported to do their work. The registered manager worked well in partnership with other professionals to ensure people received the care they needed. People had sufficient good quality food and drink to enable them to keep healthy. Staff provided people with the healthcare they needed, when they needed it. Although the building was rather tired looking, it was safe and suitable for people’s needs. The registered manager had plans in place to improve the décor and replace items where necessary. People had as much choice and control over their lives as possible. The service worked in line with other legislation such as the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and had completed mental capacity assessments and Deprivation of Liberties (DoLS) where required to ensure people’s rights and freedoms were respected and protected.

People were cared for by kind, caring and compassionate staff who understood their individual needs. People told us that staff treated them respectfully, and that they ensured they were treated with dignity, while maintaining their privacy and supporting their independence. People and their families were actively involved in every aspect of their care; they made daily decisions about their care and support.

People received person-centred care that was responsive to their changing needs. The care plans were written in a way that ensured people were supported to maintain their skills for as long as possible. The service employed an activities coordinator who arranged regular activities for people throughout the day. People also had the opportunity

This inspection took place 24 February 2016 and 2 March 2016. This inspection was unannounced.

Bennett Lodge is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to 48 older people some of whom may be living with dementia. There were 46 people living in the service on the first day of our inspection visit.

There was a registered manager in post. 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’s care and support was provided in a way that ensured their safety and welfare. There were sufficient numbers of safely recruited staff who were well trained and supported to meet people’s assessed needs. There were safe systems in place for receiving, administering and disposing of medicines. People received their medication as prescribed.

Staff had a good knowledge of how to protect people from the risk of harm. They had been trained and had access to guidance and information to support them with the process. Risks to people’s health and safety had been assessed and the service had up to date care plans and risk assessments in place to ensure that people were cared for safely.

The registered manager and staff had a good understanding of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) and had made appropriate applications when needed.

People had enough to eat and drink to meet their individual needs and preferences. People’s care needs had been assessed and their care plans provided staff with the information required to meet people’s needs and to care for them safely. People’s healthcare needs had been monitored and staff sought advice and guidance from healthcare professionals when needed.

Staff were kind and caring and knew people well. They ensured that people’s privacy and dignity was maintained at all times. People expressed their views and opinions and they participated in activities of their choosing. People were able to receive their visitors at any time and their families and friends were made to feel welcome.

People were confident that their concerns or complaints would be listened to and acted upon. There was an effective system in place to assess and monitor the quality of the service and to drive improvements.

We spoke with five people who used the service. One person said to us, "I am very happy here, I have no complaints. Everyone is very kind." Another person said, "The staff are very friendly; and this is a beautiful place to live." We observed the care and attention people received from staff. All interactions we saw were appropriate, respectful and friendly and there was a relaxed atmosphere throughout the home.

If you want to see the evidence supporting our summary please read the full report. We considered our inspection findings to answer the five questions we always ask: Is the service safe? Is the service effective? Is the service caring? Is the service responsive? Is the service well led?

Is the service safe?

People were protected by effective staff recruitment systems. Records showed that staff had received Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) training. This meant that staff were provided with the information that they needed to ensure that people were safeguarded.

Is the service effective?

People we spoke with were satisfied with the care and support they received. No one raised any concerns with us. This was consistent with the positive feedback received from people as reported in the provider's own quality assurance survey. All of the staff we spoke with were knowledgeable about individual people's care needs, and this knowledge was consistent with the care plans in place.

Is the service caring?

People were supported by kind and attentive staff. We saw that care workers showed patience and gave encouragement when supporting people. People commented, “I never feel rushed by the staff that help me, they don’t do everything for me and help me to do things for myself”. A relative said, “I visit my relative regularly and the staff are lovely to my relative and other people in the home”.

Is the service responsive?

We saw that care plans and risk assessments were informative, up to date and regularly reviewed. The registered manager responded in an open, thorough and timely manner to complaints. Therefore people could be assured that complaints were investigated and action was taken as necessary. Staff told us the manager was approachable and they would have no difficulty speaking to them if they had any concerns about the home.

Is the service well led?

Staff said that they felt well supported by the manager, there was a good team ethic and they were able do their jobs safely. The provider had a range of quality monitoring systems in place to ensure that care was being delivered appropriately by staff.

People living in Bennet Lodge and their families were happy with the level of care and support offered. People told us, "I have been quite happy with everything," "The staff are nice and kind," and, "I have no complaints or concerns." We saw that people's care needs were assessed and planned for with any risks associated with their care being minimised as far as possible.

People told us that they could do what they wished and were given choices in their daily lives.

Peoples' medicines were being managed safely but some attention to detail was needed to ensure consistency of practice.

Staff said that they were well supported and had opportunities for training. We saw that staff were kept up to date with training in essential areas such as moving and handling. Staff felt that communication and teamwork in the service was good. This would help to ensure that people receive a good and consistent service.

People were happy with the quality of the service and there were good systems in place to ensure that the quality and safety of the service was monitored and maintained.