Friars Lodge is registered with the Care Quality Commission as a care home without nursing. It can provide care and support for up to 20 older people. The building was divided on three floors, and there was a lift to all floors. On the day of our inspection there were 16 people being supported by the service.

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

The service has 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.

People were protected from avoidable harm or abuse. Risks to each person had been assessed and managed appropriately. The service followed safe recruitment procedures and there were sufficient numbers of suitably trained staff to keep people safe and meet their needs.

There were safe systems for the management of people’s medicines and they received their medicines regularly and on time.

People were supported by staff who were skilled and knowledgeable in their roles.

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’s nutritional needs were met and they were supported to have enough to eat and drink. They were seen by their doctors or other health care professionals when required.

The experiences of people who lived at the care home were positive. They were treated with respect and their privacy and dignity was promoted. People and relatives were involved in decisions about the care and support they received.

People had their care needs assessed, reviewed and supported in a responsive way. They were supported to pursue their social interests and hobbies and to participate in activities provided at the home.

There was an effective complaints procedure in place. There were systems in place to seek the views of people, their relatives and other stakeholders. Regular checks and audits relating to the quality of service delivery were carried out.

Further information is in the detailed findings below

This inspection took place on 20 and 21 June 2016 and it was unannounced. At our previous inspection in March 2015, the provider was meeting the regulations we looked at.

Friars Lodge provides accommodation, care and support for up to 20 people with a variety of care needs including chronic conditions and physical disabilities. Some people may be living with dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 16 people living at the service.

The service has 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.

People felt safe in the service. Staff understood their responsibilities with regards to safeguarding people and were aware of the processes in place for reporting concerns. They had received effective safeguarding training.

Personalised risk assessments were in place that gave guidance to staff on how individual risks to people could be minimised. Medicines were stored appropriately, managed safely and audits completed.

There were sufficient numbers of staff on duty to meet people's needs. Safe recruitment processes were in place and had been followed to ensure that staff were suitable for the role they had been appointed to prior to commencing work.

Staff were well trained and completed an effective induction programme when they commenced work at the service. Staff were supported in their roles and received regular supervision and appraisals.

People were supported to make choices in relation to their food and drink and a varied menu was offered. People's health care needs were being met and they received support from health and medical professionals when required.

Staff were kind, considerate and friendly. People's privacy and dignity was promoted throughout, their care and consent was gained before any care was provided.

People's needs had been assessed and care plans took account of their individual needs, preferences and choices. Care plans and risk assessments had been regularly reviewed to ensure that they were reflective of people's current needs.

People were encouraged and supported to participate in a range of activities and received relevant information regarding the services available to them.

The service was led by a registered manager who was visible and approachable. People, relatives and staff spoke highly of the registered manager and their ability to manage the service.

People, relatives and staff knew who to raise concerns with and there was an open culture. People and their relatives were asked for their feedback on the service and comments were encouraged. Quality monitoring systems and processes were used effectively to drive improvements in the service and identify where action needed to be taken.

We carried out this inspection on 19 March 2015 and it was unannounced.

The service provides accommodation, care and support for up 20 older people who have a range of care needs including living with dementia, chronic conditions and physical disabilities. The home has four floors and there is a lift to enable people to access all areas within it. At the time of the inspection, there were 10 people living at the home.

The service has a registered manager who was on leave during the inspection. The deputy manager was managing the service, with the support of the area 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.

The home was not always cleaned to an appropriate standard.

There were risk assessments in place that gave guidance to the staff on how risks could be minimised and there were systems in place to safeguard people from the risk of harm.

People’s medicines were managed safely and administered in a timely manner.

The provider had effective recruitment processes in place and there were sufficient staff to support people safely. Staff understood their roles and responsibilities in relation to the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS).

The staff had supervision, support and effective training that enabled them to support people well.

People were supported to have sufficient food and drinks in a caring and respectful manner. They were also supported to access other health and social care services when required.

People’s needs had been assessed, and care plans took account of people’s individual needs, preferences, and choices.

People were not always provided with opportunities to pursue their hobbies and interests.

The provider had a formal process for handling complaints and concerns. They encouraged feedback from people and acted on the comments received to improve the quality of the service.

The registered manager provided stable leadership and managerial oversight. The provider’s quality monitoring processes had been used effectively to drive improvements.

During our visit to Friars Lodge on the 15 May 2013 we spoke with three people living at the service, a visitor, a visiting healthcare professional and two care staff. We observed interactions between staff and people living at the service. People told us "Its very good."

We found the staff and people who used the service had received information about consent. Easy read booklets had been used to provide people with information on their rights and how the service would assist them to retain their independence in making choices.

The care plans contained information on people's nutritional and hydration needs and people were assessed monthly to ensure they maintained a healthy balanced diet. People were weighed monthly and where concerns were identified steps were taken to provide additional nutritional support to increase their calorific intake and keep them hydrated.

The medication system used by the provider was robust and we saw evidenced that staff had been trained to administer medication. The records we looked at reconciled with the records of administration.

Records demonstrated that new staff received a structured induction. All staff received ongoing training so they understood their role. Staff performance and development was monitored by a supervision and appraisal process.

There were robust systems in place to oversee the quality of the service provided and to ensure that the systems in place supported the delivery of quality care.

When we visited Friars Lodge on 31 October 2012, we found that people were very satisfied with the care and support they received. They told us they felt safe and the staff were friendly and supportive. One person said "I couldn't wish for anything more, I've got a lovely room and they treat me very well".

We observed that people were offered support at a level which encouraged independence and ensured that their individual needs were met. There was a relaxed atmosphere in the home, and the staff were friendly and polite in their approach to people and interacted confidently with them. We spoke with the relatives of two people who lived at Friars Lodge, and both commented on how 'homely' it was.

We noted that people were encouraged to express their views and were involved in planning their care and making decisions about their support and treatment, and how they spent their time. One person said. "I enjoy some quiet time and staff respect that". They also talked about the range of activities and entertainment that was available to them. Within the care files we saw that care documentation had been signed by the individual or a representative, to confirm their involvement and agreement with their particular care needs.

People that we spoke with during our visit to Friars Lodge on the 03 October 2011 told us that they were very happy and felt safe in the home. They said that the staff that looked after them were all helpful, friendly and hardworking, and always treated them with respect.

One person said. “The staff are exceptional; I don’t ever want to leave here”.

People looked clean, comfortable and well cared for, and where people needed assistance with personal care this was done in the privacy of their room to protect their dignity.

People told us that they were involved in planning their care and were given choices about all aspects of their lives, including how they spent their time and what they had to eat. Although there were planned activities arranged in the home and people were encouraged to join in, many people told us that they often just preferred to read, knit or chat with their companions in the home.

People had access to a wealth of information relating to the home and other care services available to them.