This unannounced inspection took place on the 4 January 2017. Cliftonville Care Home provides accommodation for up to 106 people who require nursing or residential care for a range of personal care needs. There were 94 people in residence during this inspection.

There was a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) 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 were supported by a team of staff that had the managerial guidance and support they needed to do their job. The quality of the service was monitored by the audits regularly carried out by the manager and by the provider.

People were safeguarded from harm as the provider had systems in place to prevent, recognise and report any suspected signs of abuse. Staff knew their responsibilities as defined by the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA 2005) and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) and had applied that knowledge appropriately.

Staff understood the importance of obtaining people’s consent when supporting them with their daily living needs. People experienced caring relationships with the staff that provided good interaction by taking the time to listen and understand what people needed.

People’s needs were met in line with their individual care plans and assessed needs. Staff took time to get to know people and ensured that people’s care was tailored to their individual needs. People’s care and support needs were continually monitored and reviewed to ensure that care wasprovided in the way that they needed.

There were sufficient numbers of experienced staff that were supported to carry out their roles to meet the assessed needs of people living at the home. Recruitment procedures protected people from receiving unsafe care from care staff unsuited to working with vulnerable people. Staff received training in areas that enabled them to understand and meet the care needs of each person.

People were supported to have sufficient to eat and drink to maintain a balanced diet. Staff monitored people’s health and well-being and ensured people had access to healthcare professionals when required. Medicines were managed safely.

At the last inspection the service was rated as Good.

This inspection took place on the 20 and 21 October 2014 and was unannounced.

The service is registered to provide nursing and personal care to 106 older people with physical disability and dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 83 people living there. The premises are purpose built and provide facilities for people with disability.

There was a registered manager in post at the time of our inspection. 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 provider had robust recruitment systems in place; which included appropriate checks on the suitability of new staff to work in the home. Staff received a thorough induction training to ensure they had the skills to fulfil their roles and responsibilities. There were enough staff available to meet their needs and there was a stable staff team.

Systems were in pace to ensure people were protected from abuse; staff had received training and were aware of their responsibilities in raising any concerns about people’s welfare. Peoples’ care was planned to ensure they received the individual support that they required to maintain their health, safety, independence, mobility and nutrition. People received support that maintained their privacy and dignity and systems were in place to ensure people received their medicines as and when they required them.

People had opportunities participate in the organised activities that were taking place in the home and were able to be involved in making decisions about their care the running of the home.

There were formal systems in place to assess people’s capacity for decision making under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS).

People had confidence in the management of the home and there were robust systems in place to assess the quality of service provided. Records were maintained in good order and demonstrated that people received the care that they needed.

We spoke with four people who used the service, some of whom were limited in their ability to recall or express their views about the service. However all of the people we spoke with told us the staff involved them in decisions about their care and explained their care needs to them before carrying out any procedures.

People told us they were well cared for at Cliftonville and the staff knew the care they needed and how they wished to be supported. One person said “I am very well looked after here” and another person said “the staff are kind and I feel safe living here”.

People told us they thought there were enough staff who had the right skills to care for them safely and that the staff were kind and patient. “One person said the staff are very very good here”.

We spoke with three people during our visit to Cliftonville and one relative. People told us that they were treated with respect by staff and that their privacy was respected. They also told us that they were well looked after at Cliftonville and said the staff knew how they needed and wished to be supported by them. All the people told us that the staff were nice to them and that they felt safe living at Cliftonville. One person said “the staff are marvellous; I am very well looked after here”

The people also told us they were able to make decisions about their lives, such as their choice of food, clothing and personal routines. They also told us that there were activities going on in the home that they could join in with if they wanted to. One person told us that they particularly enjoyed the carpet bowls game and another person told us that they enjoyed the cinema evenings that were regularly held at the service. The visiting relative we spoke with told us that the staff kept them informed about their relative’s progress and they were also involved in making decisions about their care.

We looked at the way that the service provided care to people with dementia and saw that staff provided them with kind and sensitive support that met their individual needs. We saw that staff supported people to make informed and meaningful choices about their food preferences and other decisions such as where to spend their time and what activities they wished to participate in.