Churchview Nursing and Residential Home provides accommodation for up to 47 people who require nursing and or personal care. Care is provided in single occupancy rooms on two floors, with nursing care provided on the ground floor and personal care on the first floor.

At the last inspection on 15 July 2014, the service was rated Good. At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

Medicines were managed safely overall with people receiving their prescribed medicines on time. We found some minor issues with medicines records but these had not impacted on people who used the service.

There were systems and processes in place to protect people from the risk of harm. Staff were aware of types of abuse, signs to look for and how to report any concerns. The registered provider had a whistleblowing (telling someone) policy in place and a hotline for staff to use if necessary.

Appropriate checks of the building and maintenance systems were undertaken to ensure health and safety.

Risks to people’s safety had been assessed and risk assessments were personalised to each individual. The risk assessments we looked at covered areas such as managing medicines, maintaining a healthy diet and mobility. Accidents and incidents were appropriately recorded and regularly analysed to minimise the risk of reoccurrence.

We found that safe recruitment and selection procedures were in place and appropriate checks were undertaken prior to staff starting work.

Staff had been trained and had the skills and knowledge to provide support to the people they cared for. Staff were given effective supervision and a yearly appraisal.

Staff understood the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and the Deprivations of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) which meant they were working within the law to support people who may lack capacity to make their own decisions.

People were supported to maintain a healthy diet and people’s dietary needs and preferences were catered for.

We saw evidence of exceptionally caring practice. We observed positive interactions between staff and people using the service. People were supported in a respectful dignified manner by kind and attentive staff.

We looked at peoples care plans and found they were individualised and person centred. They contain a high level of detail about people’s needs and preferences, were regularly reviewed and updated when necessary.

People were supported to take part in activities that were meaningful to them such as drawing and listening to music. Staff also encouraged and supported people to access activities within the community. These included sporting events and college courses.

Staff felt supported by an approachable management team and the registered manager told us that they were well supported by the registered provider’s team of directors.

During the inspection we spent time observing the interactions with staff and people who used the service. We spoke with five people who lived at Churchview. We also spoke with the deputy manager and a number of staff of different grades and roles.

All of the people we spoke with were very satisfied with the care they received. Comments included, "I am quite independent but I get help and support when I need it. Any care that is delivered by staff is most certainly done with dignity and respect." "I am very well looked after, I get the help and support that I need."

We saw that staff were attentive and treated people with dignity and respect. Staff responded quickly when people called for help. We saw that staff communicated well with people and explanations of care were given.

We found that people had nursing and care plans in place that were up to date and reflected their nursing and care needs. We also found that staff worked in collaboration with other health and social care professionals.

We found that effective systems were in place for the maintenance and servicing of equipment.

We found that people’s needs were generally met by sufficient staff, although additional recruitment was underway for registered nurses.

During this inspection we spoke with five people who lived at Churchview and five relatives. We also spoke with the manager and five staff, including a member of the catering team. People told us that they were treated well and staff were good and that they were involved in making choices about their care. People expressed satisfaction with the care and service that they received. They told us, "This home is better than any hotel I have stayed in. All the staff are wonderful and work very hard. All the staff are friendly and seem happy to be at work. I can take part in activities if I wish, I enjoy the craft sessions. I enjoy the music played during the activities." Relatives spoken with were highly complimentary about the care that had been provided. They said, "The staff know my mum and they involve me in her care." "They have skill and knowledge and look after her very well."

We found that people had their health and care needs appropriately assessed and this was effectively planned and delivered.

We found the premises that people, staff and visitors used were safe and suitable.

We found that appropriate recruitment procedures were in place.

We found there was an effective complaints system in place at the home.

We spoke with four people who use the service and four relatives of people. Relatives we spoke with said, "We have discussed their care needs and care plans, we are kept well informed."

One person we spoke with told us that the 'residents' have a committee and a newsletter is produced. They also spoke positively about the activities that take place.

A person said, "I make my own decisions, they are concerned about what will make me happy and my decisions are respected by the staff." They said that, "I am fully consulted about my care needs and the dignity and respect that is shown is second to none."

People we spoke with were very satisfied with the care provided to them. One person said, “The staff are positive, they are kind and treat you with respect. I am cared for and supported.”

We spoke with a number of relatives or visitors who said the care that was delivered to people was extremely good. They said, "Mum looks well, she has flourished, she is very much treated as an individual." Another relative said, "I have great trust in the staff and the way in which he/she is cared for", "It is like home from home, they make me feel very welcome."

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and to pilot a new inspection process being introduced by CQC which looks at the overall quality of the service.

We last inspected Churchview Nursing and Residential Home on 6 September 2013 and found the service was not in breach of any regulations at the time.

Churchview Nursing and Residential Home is registered to provide accommodation for up to 47 older people who require personal or nursing care. Care is provided in single occupancy rooms on two floors, with nursing care provided on the first floor and personal care on the first floor.

There was a registered manager in place at the service. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service and has legal responsibility for meeting the requirements of the law; as does the provider.

The inspection visit took place over two inspection days, with the first day being unannounced.

There were policies and procedures in place in relation to the Mental Capacity Act 20015 and Deprivations of Liberty Safeguards (DoLs) The registered manager had the appropriate knowledge to know when an application should be made and how to submit one. This meant people were safeguarded. We found the service to be meeting the requirements of Deprivations of Liberty Safeguards.

People told us they felt safe. We found that the registered manager had appropriate systems in place to protect people from the risk of harm.

We found that people were provided with support and care by staff who had the appropriate knowledge and training to effectively meet their needs. The skill mix and staffing levels were also sufficient. Robust recruitment procedures were in place and followed, with appropriate checks undertaken prior to staff working at the service. This included obtaining references from the person’s previous employer as well as checks to show that staff were safe to work with vulnerable adults.

Staff had the opportunity for ongoing development and the registered manager ensured that they received supervision, yearly appraisal and training relevant to their job roles.

People who lived at the service were encouraged to live fulfilling lives and it was clear from our observations that staff had developed good relationships with people. We saw kind and caring interactions and people were offered choices and had their dignity and privacy respected.

Good arrangements were in place to ensure people’s nutritional needs were met. Where risks had been identified there was input from relevant healthcare professionals. People told us they were highly satisfied with the meal choices and quality.

People had their needs assessed and these were detailed within their care records, which were up to date and reflective of people’s current needs. People’s care records contained a good level of information and provided staff with the information they needed to effectively meet people’s needs.

People had opportunities to be involved in a range of activities, which were influenced by their hobbies, interests and lifestyle preferences. We noted that people who lived at the service were able and encouraged to maintain relationships with their friends and family and enabled to take risks.

People were provided with information about concerns and complaints. We found people’s concerns were responded to appropriately by the registered manager and there were systems in place to learn from complaints and incidents.

From the discussion we had with people who lived at the service, visitors, staff and other professionals, we found Churchview Nursing and Residential Home was a well led service. There were effective systems in place to monitor and improve the quality of the service provided. We saw the culture was one that took account of people’s views and continually embraced improvement and development.

The service was accredited with Investors in People Award and also had beacon status for the Gold Standard Framework for end of life care.