The inspection took place on 13 and 18 December 2017. The first day of the inspection was unannounced. This meant that the staff and provider did not know we were coming.

Elderwood Residential Home is a residential care home for 40 older people and people living with dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 36 people using the service. The service is based over two floors but is not divided into specific units. People are able to access a number of communal areas and participate in activities on both floors.

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

The service had a registered manager. 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 and treatment was planned and delivered in a way that was intended to ensure people's safety and welfare. There were systems in place to minimise the risk of infection. People were cared for safely by staff who had been recruited and employed after appropriate checks had been completed. People's needs were met by sufficient numbers of staff. Medication was stored safely and administered by staff who had received the appropriate training.

People were cared for and supported by staff who had received relevant and up to date training. The registered manager had a good understanding of their responsibilities in relation to the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards. 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 supported to eat and drink enough as to ensure they maintained a balanced diet and referrals to other health professionals were made when required.

Staff cared for people in a kind and patient manner. Staff had a good understanding of people's preferences of care. Staff promoted people's independence by encouraging and supporting them to undertake elements of their own care and to make choices about their day to day lives. People’s privacy and dignity was maintained and respected.

People and their relatives were involved in the planning and review of their care. Care plans were reviewed on a regular basis and also when there was a change in people’s care needs. People were

supported to participate in social activities. The registered manager responded to concerns in a timely manner and ensured people were aware of the complaints procedure.

There were systems in place to monitor care delivery at the service and make improvements where necessary. Staff and people using the service felt the manager was approachable and supportive. The service had good links to the local community.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

The provider was in the process of changing the format of its care plans. These were 50% complete at the time of our visit and the new plans were person centred and showed that people were involved in choices and planning about their care.

We saw medications were stored and recorded appropriately. The service had a robust process for the recruitment of staff and held records about staff recruitment securely. There were also checks on the quality of the service provided that included equipment and environment checks as well as getting feedback from people who used the service.

We spoke with seven people. They said:

“I’ve been here six years and I’ve been fine”,

“There are good staff here”,

“They come and ask me what food I want”,

“It’s just like home”,

“The manager is very good”,

“You don’t have to worry about anything, its all done for you”,

“I can do anything I want”,

“I can’t find any faults”,

“The girls look after us very well”,

“The meals here are fantastic”,

“We are one big happy family” and

“I dyed my hair pink last year for the summer fayre and raised £50 and this year I am having my face painted!”

Some people were not able to tell us directly what they thought about the service. However, during our visit we spent time observing how care staff supported people and this was positive and respectful.

Staff told us:

“We now have a lot to do with care plans but we’ve had the training to do it”,

“When I came back after a long spell on leave it felt like it wasn’t the same home, it’s much more organised”,

“It’s changed a lot for the better with the new managers, every month we see improvement” and

“There is lots of training and courses”.

The people we spoke to were generally very satisfied with the care they received. These were some of the things they told us “This home is beautiful, I just enjoy life and the home is wonderful, we are well looked after, well fed and the staff are fantastic.” And “The staff are lovely and I love living here”

This inspection took place on 13 and 14 May 2015 and was unannounced. This meant the staff and provider did not know we would be visiting.

Elderwood Residential Home provides care and accommodation for up to 40 older people and people with a dementia type illness. On the day of our inspection there were 36 people using the service.

The home had a registered manager in place. 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. During our visit the registered manager was on sick leave and the care manager was in charge of the home.

Elderwood Residential Home was last inspected by CQC on 8 August 2013 and was compliant.

There were sufficient numbers of staff on duty in order to meet the needs of people who used the service. The provider had an effective recruitment and selection procedure in place and carried out relevant checks when they employed staff.

Thorough investigations had been carried out in response to safeguarding incidents or allegations and comprehensive medicine audits were carried out regularly by the care manager.

Staff training was up to date and staff received regular supervisions and appraisals, which meant that staff were properly supported to provide care to people who used the service.

The home was clean, spacious and suitable for the people who used the service.

CQC monitors the operation of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) which applies to care homes. The Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) are part of the Mental Capacity Act 2005. They aim to make sure that people in care homes, hospitals and supported living are looked after in a way that does not inappropriately restrict their freedom. We discussed DoLS with the care manager and looked at records. We found the provider was following the requirements in the DoLS.

We saw people had given consent to their care and treatment.

People who used the service, and family members, were complimentary about the standard of care at Elderwood Residential Home.

Staff treated people with dignity and respect and helped to maintain people’s independence by encouraging them to care for themselves where possible.

We saw that the home had a full programme of activities in place for people who used the service.

Care records showed that people’s needs were assessed before they moved into Elderwood Residential Home and care plans were written in a person centred way.

The provider had a complaints policy and procedure in place and complaints were fully investigated.

The provider had a robust quality assurance system in place and gathered information about the quality of their service from a variety of sources.