This inspection visit took place on 24 January 2017 and was unannounced. This was the first inspection visit for the service since the provider registered with us in June 2016.

Clova House Residential Care Home provides care and accommodation for up to 20 older people. At the time of our inspection, there were 16 people using the service. The service is a converted domestic dwelling located in a residential area of Shelton Lock, Derby. Accommodation is provided across two floors and is served by both a passenger lift and a stair lift.

The service had 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 told us they felt safe with the staff and the care provided. Staff understood safeguarding (protecting people from abuse) and knew how to keep people safe.

The risks to people's safety and well-being had been assessed and minimised. Staff knew what action they needed to take to keep people safe and followed risk assessments to promote people's safety.

There were enough staff to provide safe and effective care for people. Staff were recruited in accordance with the provider's recruitment procedures. This helped to ensure staff were suitable to work with people using the service.

People received their medicines they needed when they needed them. Further improvements were needed to medicine records to ensure these were completed accurately and correctly and to the storage of medicines to ensure the condition of medicines was maintained.

Further improvements were needed to the management and storage of laundry to ensure laundry was managed in line with infection control guidance.

Staff told us they felt supported in their roles and the registered manager provided staff with clear guidance and leadership. Staff had completed a range of training and qualifications they needed and we saw they used this knowledge to provide people with safe and effective care.

Staff ensured people's rights and best interests by working within the principles of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005 to obtain consent or appropriate authorisation for their care. Staff understood the importance of obtaining consent from people before providing care and support. Mental capacity assessments required further development to ensure they were decision and time specific. This is important to ensure that people are able to make their own decisions and where they lack mental capacity, any made on their behalf are made in their best interests.

People were positive about the food provided and enjoyed their meals. People were supported to eat and drink in sufficient amounts. People were supported to maintain and improve their health and nutrition and had access to a range of health care professionals who worked with staff to support people's well-being.

Staff were caring and attentive in their approach to meeting people's needs. People told us they felt staff treated them with dignity and respect and supported them to maintain their privacy when they needed assistance.

Staff knew people well and used the information they had about people's interests and preferences to provide care that was person centred. People and, where appropriate, their relatives were involved in the development of their care plan. Where people's needs changed, people were involved and consulted to ensure care plans reflected people's current needs and preferences as to how they wanted their care to be provided. Staff supported people to pursue activities that were in keeping with their interests. The registered manager was in the process of developing support for activities to ensure people had more opportunities for one-to-one support.

People were informed and k