Burnworthy House is a residential care home for 37people. The home specialises in the care of older people. At the time of the inspection there were 32 people living at the home.

At the last inspection, the service was rated Good.

At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

Why the service is rated Good

People felt safe at the home and with the staff who supported them. One person said, “I feel safe here because staff are kind and take notice of you when you talk to them.” There were adequate numbers of staff to meet people’s needs and maintain their safety. Risk assessments were carried out to minimise risks to people.

People received effective care and support from staff who were well trained and competent in their roles. Staff monitored people’s health and made referrals to healthcare professionals according to their individual needs. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

People were cared for by kind and patient staff who respected their privacy and dignity and helped them to maintain their independence. Comments about staff included; “Staff are lovely and so friendly” and “Staff are kind and thoughtful.” People felt involved in decisions about their care.

People’s needs were assessed to make sure they received the care and support they needed. The service was responsive to people’s social needs and supported them to maintain an active role in their local community.

People benefitted from a management team who were open and approachable and had systems in place to seek people’s views. The provider had quality assurance systems which ensured people received good quality care and on-going improvements were made.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

This inspection was unannounced and took place on 27 May 2015

The last inspection of the home was carried out on 7 November 2013. No concerns were identified with the care being provided to people at that inspection.

Burnworthy House is registered to provide personal care and accommodation to up to 37 people. The home specialises in the care of older people. At the time of this inspection there were 29 people living at the home.

There is 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 registered manager told us their aim was to provide a homely environment where people felt well cared for and safe. Comments from people demonstrated this aim was being put into practice.

People were supported by adequate numbers of well trained and competent staff. There was a stable, well-motivated staff team which created a friendly and happy place for people to live.

The home was very much part of the local community which enabled people to take part in local events and activities. One person said “I like to keep up to date with what’s happening in the village. Living here I still feel part of things.”

People from the local community visited the home for events and some events, such as the annual duck race, took place through the grounds of the home. Local school children visited to take part in shared activities and one local school used the home’s grounds for sports.

Each person had a care plan which was personal to them. Care plans gave details of people’s likes and preferred routines as well as their physical needs. This ensured staff had information to enable them to provide care which was personalised to the individual.

People were able to make choices about all aspects of their day to day lives. People told us they were able to follow their own routines. One person told us “I go to bed when I’m tired and get up when I want.”

Staff monitored people’s health and well-being and made referrals to appropriate healthcare professionals to ensure they received effective care and treatment. There were systems in place to make sure people received their medicines safely from competent staff.

There were ways for people to express their views about their care. Staff spent time with people to make sure their wishes and preferences about the care they required were recorded. There were also meetings for people who lived at the home and annual satisfaction surveys to enable people to share their views and make suggestions.

People were provided with food in line with their nutritional needs and wishes. People were able to make choices about the food they ate and where they took their meals. People we spoke with were complimentary about the food and the choices available.

On the day of our visit the home was having new double glazing fitted and new flooring fitted in one of the home’s dining areas.

People told us that they understood the care choices available to them, and could have their views taken into account in the way their care was delivered. A person told us, "They’ve been ever so good to me. They ask before they do anything."

We found that people's needs were assessed, and care was planned and delivered to meet people's needs. A visiting relative told us, "We know she has a care plan, we've signed it." People's care was regularly reviewed and their personal information was held securely.

People had their medicines at times when they needed them, and in a safe way. People also had had access to information about the medicine being prescribed to them. We saw that medicine was administered as prescribed by staff who had received training in managing people's medicines.

We viewed a selection of staff records, and saw that relevant checks had been carried out when the home employed staff. Staff had opportunities to gain appropriate qualifications. A visiting relative told us, "The staff are kind."

The home had an appropriate system in place to deal with people’s comments and complaints. A person who lived in the home told us, "The manager is very good, you can raise things."

We spoke with ten people who lived in the home. They told us that staff provided the care and support they needed. Everyone we spoke with was very happy living in the home. People said staff were caring and they listened to them.

People were given the opportunity to make choices. People were able to say what they would like and staff respected people’s views. All the interactions we observed between staff and people who lived in the home were kind and respectful. One person we spoke with said “you have choices about everything really. I choose what time to get up and what time to go to bed. I like to get up early. I always have done. I choose what I want to do every day. I like to have tea later than other people so I have mine at about 7pm. The staff are fine with that”.

Meetings were held with the people who lived in the home. People were also asked their views when staff chatted with them each day. One person told us “we have meetings and you can give your opinion on everything. We had a meeting last Tuesday. The staff are always asking if you are happy with the home”.

Various activities were arranged each month, as were occasional trips out of the home. One person said “there are lots of activities. I go to most of them. We have quizzes, skittles, dance, art, bingo and a garden club. We have singers that come in and next week we have the donkey sanctuary visiting. The only thing we haven’t had this year is a trip to the coast yet. We did last year. I think a trip has been planned for this year”.

People who lived in the home told us they were well cared for. Staff understood their care needs and helped them to do the things they needed help with. Comments from people included “things here are fine. That’s all I can say. I’m very happy here”, “the staff are nice and know what care I need. I have no complaints” and “all the staff know me well. They know what help I need. I’m very happy living here”.

People told us they liked the food served in the home. They chose where they wished to eat their meals; most people preferred to eat in the dining areas. We saw that lunchtime was relaxed and sociable in both dining areas. One person said "the food is good. They always ask you about the food. There’s always an either or here, you always have a choice of meals and puddings”.

People we spoke with said they felt safe living at the home. Comments from people included “yes it’s a safe place to live. I would definitely say that”, “I do feel safe and happy here” and “I have lived here for years and I have always felt very safe living here”.

People said they would raise any concerns if they had any and would be happy to share these with staff. No concerns were raised with us during our visit. People said they were very happy and that they had not had cause to complain. One person said “I have lived here for five years and have never had a problem. If I was unhappy about something I would talk to the staff. They are all very kind”.

People who lived in the home said staff were available when they needed them. Comments from people included “one member of staff is my key worker and they are very good. All of the staff know what care I need. They are all very good and they do work hard”, “the staff are nice” and “the staff are very kind and the manager is very good at running the home”.