Fair Haven is registered to provide accommodation for up to 30 people who require personal care. The service does not provide nursing care. The service provides support for older people, some of whom are living with dementia. Twenty seven people were living at the service on the day of our inspection.

We inspected this service on 01 and 02 December 2016. The inspection was unannounced.

There was 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.

Systems were in place to manage risks to people using the service. Both the registered provider and registered manager had a positive attitude towards managing risk and keeping people safe. Detailed risk assessments were in place which gave staff clear direction as to what action to take to minimise risk. These included safeguarding matters, behaviours that were challenging to others and medication. Risks were assessed in a consistent and positive way and protected people’s dignity, rights and independence.

Staff understood and adhered to the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). These safeguards protect the rights of adults who use the service by ensuring that if there are restrictions on their freedom and liberty these are assessed by professionals who consider whether the restriction is appropriate and needed. The registered manager had made an appropriate DoLS application to the local authority to ensure that restrictions on a person’s ability to leave the service unaccompanied were lawful. Advocacy support had been provided where necessary.

There was a sufficient number of staff on duty to meet people’s needs and to keep them safe. The provider’s recruitment and selection process ensured staff recruited had the right skills and experience. Regular police checks were carried out to ensure staff were suitable to work with people who used the service. Staff received a thorough induction when they started work and had access to an ongoing programme of training which gave them the skills, knowledge and confidence to carry out their role.

Staff knew the needs of the people they supported well. People were involved in determining the level of support they needed and their independence was promoted. Staff offered people choices and these were respected. People were supported to carry on with their usual routines, their hobbies and accessing places of interest in the community. People were provided with sufficient food and drink of their choice to stay healthy and were encouraged to maintain a balanced diet. People were supported to manage their health and had access to health care professionals, when they needed them.

There was a strong emphasis on promoting good practice in the service. Staff were clear about the registered providers vision and values in relation to delivering a service with ‘Pride and Dignity’. The registered provider had also signed up to the Social Care Commitment to provide people who needed care and support with high quality services. Staff received the training and support they needed to provide high quality compassionate care. A staff recognition of achievement scheme was in place that recognised where staff had gone above and beyond their role to benefit the people who used the service.

The provider had a range of systems in place to assess, monitor and further develop the quality of the service. This included quality monitoring visits of the service and monitoring of incidents, accidents, safeguarding concerns and complaints.

This unannounced inspection was carried out on 24 November 2015.This was the first inspection of this service since Care for your Life (Fair Haven) Limited had been registered with the Care Quality Commission as the provider. This change of registration occurred on 6 June 2015.

Fair Haven Care Home is registered to provide accommodation and personal care for 30 people. At the time of this inspection there were 27 older people, some of whom were living with dementia accommodated at the home. The home is situated over two floors, which can be assessed by stairs, a lift, and a stair lift. There are a number of communal areas within the home, including lounges, dining areas and a garden for people to use.

There was a registered manager in place. 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.

Staff were aware of the procedures for reporting concerns and protecting people from harm. Staff were only employed after the provider had carried out satisfactory pre-employment checks.

Staff were trained to provide effective care which met people’s individual needs. Staff understood their role and responsibilities to report poor care. Staff were supported by the registered manager to develop their skills and knowledge through regular supervision, appraisals and training.

People who used the service were supported by staff who were kind, respectful and promoted their privacy and dignity. People had individualised care and support plans in place which recorded their care and support needs. Individual risks to people were identified by staff. Plans were put into place to minimise these risks and to enable people to live as independent and safe a life as possible. These records guided staff on any assistance a person may require. Arrangements were in place to ensure that people were supported and protected with the safe management of their prescribed medication.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is required by law to monitor the operation of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) and report on what we find. We found that there were formal systems in place to assess people’s capacity for decision making and applications had been made to the authorising agencies for people who needed these safeguards. Staff respected people choices and staff were aware of the key legal requirements of the MCA and DoLS.

People were supported to take part in activities within the home and the local community. People’s family and friends were encouraged to visit the home to help support and promote people’s social inclusion.

There was an ‘open’ culture within the home. People and their relatives were able to raise any suggestions or concerns that they might have with staff and the registered manager. People were supported to access a range of external health care professionals and were supported to maintain their health. People’s health and nutritional needs were met.

The registered manager sought feedback about the quality of the service provided from people who used the service, their relatives and staff by holding regular meetings. They had in place a quality monitoring process to identify areas of improvement required within the home.