At our last inspection on 1 December 2015 we rated the service good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and on-going monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

Ferndale Care Home is a 'care home'. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Ferndale Care Home is located in Morley. The home provides accommodation for up to 16 people in 12 single and two double bedrooms. A stair lift links the ground and first floor accommodation. There is parking at the rear of the home and gardens at the front of the building.

Staff understood the procedures which they needed to follow to keep people safe and the action they needed to take to raise any safeguarding concerns. Staff training in safeguarding adults was up to date and safeguarding alerts had been carried out when needed.

Risk assessments were in place for people and for the day to day running of the service and had been regularly reviewed.

Health and safety certificates for the service were up to date. Records we reviewed included gas and electrical safety certificates and monitoring of water temperatures. Fire safety checks had been regularly carried out and staff had participated in planned fire drills.

Recruitment records were in place and showed robust checks had been carried out to ensure only suitable candidates were employed to work at the service. There was sufficient staff on duty during the day and throughout the night.

Procedures were in place for managing people's medicines safely.

Staff were supported to carry out their roles safely. All staff participated in supervision, appraisals and training. New staff were supported by more experienced staff to get to know people and to understand the day to day running of the service.

Staff had followed the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) had been applied for appropriately. 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 told us they received a nutritious diet and were happy with the variety and quality of food.

People at risk of dehydration or malnutrition were receiving appropriate care from staff and health professionals. People were involved with a variety of health and social care professionals. All visits and recommendations by professionals had been recorded in people's care records.

People's rooms were personalised with their belongings and arranged in a way that suited them. Staff used equipment on advice from health professionals to support and promote people’s independence.

People told us they enjoyed living at the service and received good care from staff. People told us that staff protected their privacy and dignity at all times.

People told us they felt listened to and were involved in planning and reviewing their own care.

The service provided end of life care to people and worked in line with people's needs, wishes and preferences.

People received person-centred care which reflected their needs, wishes and preferences. Care records contained information about the care and support people needed and these had been regularly reviewed. However care records contained old information about people and were not easy to understand. We made a recommendation around the clarity and review recording of people’s care records.

Activities which met people's individual needs were provided at the service. People told us they were happy with this provision which included in-house activ

The inspection took place on 01 December 2015 and was unannounced. We carried out an inspection in April 2014, where we found the provider was meeting all the regulations we inspected.

Ferndale Care Home is located in Morley. The home provides accommodation for up to 16 people in 12 single and two double bedrooms. A stair lift links the ground and first floor accommodation. There is parking at the rear of the home and gardens at the front of the building.

At the time of the inspection, the service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). 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.

We found some areas of the premises did not comply with current Health and Safety guidance and were therefore, a safety risk to people who used the service. However, following our inspection we received confirmation from the provider that all the work had been completed.

We found people were cared for, or supported by, sufficient numbers of suitably qualified and experienced staff. Robust recruitment procedures were in place to make sure suitable staff worked with people who used the service and staff completed an induction when they started work. Staff received the training and support required to meet people’s needs.

People told us they felt safe in the home and we saw there were systems and processes in place to protect people from the risk of harm. Staff had a good understanding of safeguarding vulnerable adults and knew what to do to keep people safe. People were protected against the risks associated with medicines because the provider had appropriate arrangements in place to manage medicines safely.

The care plans we looked at contained appropriate mental capacity assessments. At the time of our inspection one Deprivation of Liberty Safeguard application had been carried out appropriately. There was opportunity for people to be involved in a range of activities within the home or the local community.

People’s care plans contained sufficient and relevant information to provide consistent, care and support. People mealtimes experience was good. People received good support which ensured their health care needs were met. Staff were aware and knew how to respect people’s privacy and dignity.

The service had good management and leadership. People had opportunity to comment on the quality of service and influence service delivery. Effective systems were in place which ensured people received safe quality care. Complaints were welcomed and were investigated and responded to appropriately.

The inspection was carried out by an individual inspector. We looked at five specific questions; Was the service safe? Was the service effective? Was the service caring? Was the service responsive? Was the service well led?

Was the service safe?

We spoke with six people who used the service. They all told us they were happy with the care and support they received. One person told us “It’s nice and comfortable here”. Another told us “I am happy enough here, people are very friendly”.

We saw evidence that staff received regular training in Safeguarding vulnerable adults. This meant they were able to protect people from the risk of harm. We saw that the service had an up to date Safeguarding Policy. Staff had regular training on a variety of subjects and the staff we spoke with told us they felt the training was important as it helped them keep their skills and knowledge up to date. The staff all received regular supervision and they felt that supervision was a good source of support for them.

The service was clean and well maintained. Equipment was well maintained and serviced regularly therefore not putting people at unnecessary risk.

The manager set the staff rota and ensured that there was the right mix of skills on each shift. This meant that people were being cared for by staff that were qualified and experienced.

Recruitment practice was safe and thorough. There were policies and procedures in place for the service to manage any concerns about staff’s performance.

Was the service effective?

People had an assessment of their care needs prior to admission into the home. Once they had settled into the home, a further assessment of need was carried out and care records were developed. The resulting care records were then reviewed at regular intervals. This ensured that people were having their needs assessed on a regular basis. At the time of the inspection, the service did not have a key working system in place. The manager told us they were in the process of introducing a key working system.

Was the service caring?

We spoke with six members of the staff team. They told us they loved working at the home, one member of staff told us “Staff here are very flexible and accommodating”. The staff felt that there were enough staff on duty to support people.

We saw that interaction between staff and people who used the service was warm and respectful. The people we spoke with told us they knew the staff team well and felt able to ask them for anything. The staff we spoke with told us that they had known a lot of the people for a very long time and had developed a good relationship with people. This meant that they had a good understanding of people’s care needs.

Was the service responsive?

The manager told us they held regular meetings with people to encourage them to share their experiences of living at the home. People told us they knew who to talk to if they weren’t happy.

The service had an up to date complaints policy and procedure that people could use if they needed to make a complaint. The service had not received any complaints over the past year.

Was the service well led?

Staff were clear about their roles and responsibilities and felt able to talk to the manager if they had any concerns. The manager took an active part in managing the home and the team felt they were as much a part of the team as the care staff.

The people we spoke with told us they could talk to the manager if they had any concerns. We spoke with some visitors to the home and they felt that the home was well managed. They too felt able to talk to the manager if they had any concerns

People expressed their views and were involved in making decisions about their care and treatment. People told us they were involved in decisions to move into Ferndale. One person said the home was a really nice place to live, staff were very good and most had worked at the home for a long time.

Care and treatment was planned and delivered in a way that was intended to ensure people’s safety and welfare. Staff had a good knowledge of the needs of people who used the service. One person said “I had a lovely bath this morning and the carer was very attentive, she made me feel special.” Another person said, “The care here could not be better.”

We found systems protected people who used the service against the risks associated with the unsafe use and management of medication. One person we spoke with said “I was asked if I wanted to take my medicines myself, but I prefer staff to give them to me.”

People were cared for, or supported by, suitably qualified, skilled and experienced staff.

Complaints were investigated and responded to in a timely manner.

We spoke with nine people who live at Ferndale and three relatives. They told us that staff were kind and helpful and that they had been involved in planning how their care was provided.

All the people spoken with were very positive about the staff and the support they

receive. “You can’t go wrong with the staff if you ask for anything it’s done”

People understood their care and the support they need. They told us that they are encouraged to make their own decisions about their daily activities some of their

comments were:

"It’s a good home. I can go out when I want. It is my home”

“We are always given choices we can go out when we wish. Those who can’t go out on their own are taken out”

When asked about the food people everyone was very positive.

“The food is good the dinners are marvellous “

“We eat well at lunch and have sandwiches or something light at tea”

“We are always offered drinks and snacks and have something before we go to bed,the food is good"

“The food is ok. I have no grumbles, it’s enough”

One person told us that they valued their privacy and preferred to spend much of their day on their own quietly and sometimes preferred to eat alone. They said that staff respected this and would pop in to see them regularly.

People said that were asked about aspects of the home. One person said, “There is nothing I would wish to see change it’s a lovely home”

Another person said, “You couldn’t have a better place, our room is our home”

People spoken with said they have never had any concerns during their time at Ferndale. They commented, "Staff are very good and kind. They are soon here if I need anything. If I wasn't happy about something I would be able to tell the staff."