Camellots Care Home is a residential care home for up to eight people living with a learning disability and/or other mental health and physical needs. At the time of our inspection, the home was fully occupied. Camellots Care Home is situated close to the centre of Littlehampton and public transport. The home is terraced and accommodation is provided over two floors. Communal areas include a sitting room, dining room and kitchen. All rooms are of single occupancy.

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

People were supported by staff who understood how to keep them safe and had been trained in safeguarding adults at risk. Risks to people were identified, assessed and managed appropriately. Staffing levels were sufficient to meet people’s needs and safe recruitment systems were in place. Medicines were managed safely.

Staff completed a range of training in order to provide effective care to people. Regular supervisions and staff meetings took place. Consent was gained in line with legislation. People were supported to have sufficient to eat and drink and were supported by a range of healthcare professionals and services.

People were looked after by kind and caring staff who knew them well. People’s preferences were recorded and staff understood how people wished to be cared for and supported them appropriately. People were encouraged to express their views and to be involved in all aspects of their care. They were treated with dignity and respect.

Care plans were written in an accessible way to enable people to be involved in reviewing their care. Staff were provided with detailed information and guidance about people’s care needs. Activities were organised, although many people followed individual interests and pursuits. Some people went out independently. An accessible complaints policy was in place.

People were involved in developing the service and could help interview new staff. Feedback from people about the home was obtained through 1:1 meetings. Healthcare professionals and relatives were positive about the service provided at the home. Staff felt supported by the management team and enjoyed working at the home. A range of systems was in place to monitor and measure the quality of care provided and to drive continuous improvement.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

A single inspector carried out this inspection. The focus of the inspection was to answer five key questions: is the service safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led?

Some of the people using the service had complex needs and this meant they were unable to tell us directly about their experience. The summary below describes what three people using the service, a relative, three care staff and the registered manager told us, what we observed and the documents and records we looked at.

This is a summary of what we found:

Is the service safe?

People were treated with respect by the staff and their dignity was upheld.

Two people we spoke with told us they felt safe, and were supported by staff in making their own decisions. This was confirmed by the four care plans seen and through observation and discussion with care staff.

CQC monitors the operation of Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS), which applies to care homes. No applications had been submitted and we found that no one was subject to restrictions on their liberty.

The registered manager and care staff had attended training in safeguarding people and were aware of the principles underpinning the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and DoLS. We saw care records which showed that the registered manager had recently coordinated an assessment of the capacity of one person to make a decision with regard to their prescribed medicine. This demonstrated that the registered manager was aware that the assessment was needed, and of the rights of the individual to make that decision.

People were protected from the risk of poor nutrition because their needs were assessed and appropriate support was provided.

Is the service effective?

People had their needs assessed. Care plans were regularly reviewed to ensure they remained effective, and were kept up to date to reflect the changing needs of people. Care plans seen did not always include all the information known by the care staff about people’s needs and preferences.

Whilst people clearly received good care we found that there were areas where independence was not encouraged and promoted, so that people could have done more for themselves to maintain and develop their skills.

Staff had received training to enable them to meet the specific needs of people living at Camellots. One person told us, “Give them their due, it’s good here.”

Is the service caring?

Three people we spoke with told us they were well cared for and their needs were met. From speaking with staff and observing how they supported people it was clear that they knew people well and understood their needs. This was especially evident where people had complex needs and were unable to communicate verbally. Staff were attentive and responded promptly to non-verbal communication.

We saw that care staff supported people in way that was unhurried.

A relative told us, "It's very homely and welcoming here".

People were safe and their care and welfare needs were met because there were effective systems in place to ensure staff were competent to do their jobs.

Is the service responsive?

Two people told us they were able to do what they wanted to do when they wanted. One person said, “I can have breakfast more or less when I want it. I like it after 6”.

We saw that the care and support provided for people was flexible according to their preferences at the time. Care staff were sensitive to people’s changing moods.

People's views about the service were regularly sought in ways appropriate to their individual communication needs.

Is the service well-led?

Staff had a good understanding of the values that underpinned the care provided at the home. There were quality assurance processes in place including audits, monitoring visits and surveys.

People were cared for by staff who were trained and well supported. We spoke with the registered manager and the three care staff on duty, all of whom said they felt supported by their managers.

During this inspection we spoke with three of the eight people who used the service and three of the four members of staff who were on duty. We also spoke with one persons advocate. Some of the people who used the service had complex needs which meant they could not tell us directly about their experiences.

People told us they liked living at Camellots Care Home.

One person told us, "it's nice it's good. It's convenient for shops".

Another person told us, "I am happy here, they are very caring".

As part of this inspection we spent time observing the interaction between staff and people. We saw that staff spoke to people in a calm and relaxed manner. We observed that staff reacted to non-verbal clues from people who were unable to speak. They demonstrated a clear knowledge of people's needs.

We saw people's individual records and saw that they had been involved in the planning of their support. Staff demonstrated that they knew how care was to be delivered in line with people's wishes and preferences.

Staff told us they liked working at Camellots Care Home and felt supported by the management team.

We looked at how the provider stored, handled and administered medication. We saw that there were appropriate arrangements for the management of medicines.

We looked at the systems the provider had in place to deal with comments and complaints. The service had an effective complaints procedure.

At this inspection we spoke with two people who use the service. People told us that they liked living at Camellots. They told us that staff were very helpful and support them to keep independent.

One person said, "I wasn't sure at first but I like living at Camellots now. Staff are helpful and I can do my own thing."

Another person told us that they were happy with the support the received and enjoyed going out on trips with staff.

As part of this inspection we spent time observing the interaction between staff and people. This was seen to be positive and valuing. Staff spoke to people in a polite and supportive way when responding to their requests. We observed staff reacting to non verbal cues from people who were unable to speak. They demonstrated a clear knowledge of people's needs.

Staff told us that they feel supported by the manager and provider to carry out their roles; they enjoyed working at the home and had a wide range of training.

This inspection took place on 30 June and 3 July 2015.

Camellots Care Home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to eight people. This service supports people with a learning disability. At the time of this inspection there were seven people accommodated.

A registered manager was in post when we visited. 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.

Care records had been kept up to date to confirm care had been delivered in a safe and timely manner. Care plans included sufficient information about individual needs to ensure the care delivered was person centred.

People had access to fluids throughout the day to ensure they were not at risk of dehydration. People and their relatives said that the food at the home was good. Where necessary, people were given help to eat their meal safely and with dignity.

Staff understood their role in relation to the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). These safeguards protect the rights of people by ensuring if there are any restrictions to their freedom and liberty these have been authorised by the local authority as being required to protect the person from harm. They confirmed they had received training in these areas. Where people did not have the capacity to make decisions for themselves, the registered manager demonstrated people’s human rights had been maintained. Where appropriate, DoLS applications had been made on behalf of people. Staff had been provided with appropriate training to ensure they were able to deliver care to people with complex needs.

A quality assurance system was in place to monitor how the service was provided and to identify shortfalls. This included consultation with people and their relatives or representatives.

People and their relatives said that they felt safe, free from harm and would speak to staff if they were worried or unhappy about anything. They told us that the registered manager was approachable. Staff knew how to identify the signs of possible abuse, and knew how to report any safeguarding concerns.

People and their relatives told us that they were happy with care they received. We heard staff speaking kindly to people and they were able to explain how they developed positive caring relationships with people.

People and their relatives told us that there were enough staff on duty to support people at the times they wanted or needed.

At our last inspection on 18 August 2014 we found one breach to legal requirements. We found that the planning and delivery of care did not always meet the individual needs of people. Care plans did not always contain enough information about people's needs and preferences to ensure consistent care. We received an action plan from the provider which detailed what would be done to ensure compliance by 30 November 2014. We found evidence at this inspection which confirmed that care plans had been improved and that the care delivered met people’s needs.