Greenacres Care Centre provides care and accommodation for up to 39 older people some of

whom are living with dementia. At the time of the inspection there were 37 people living in the service.

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.

At the last inspection, the service was rated Good overall.

At this inspection we found the service remained Good in all areas.

Why the service is rated good.

One person said; “The whole atmosphere is very good – I don’ think you could find a better place than this.” Another person said; “Staff are always smiling and work well as a team” and a relative said; “There are plenty of staff and everyone chats. It’s a happy place.”

People remained safe at the service because they received their medicines safely. People, relatives, professionals and staff told us there were sufficient staff to meet people’s needs. Risk assessments were completed to enable people to retain their independence and receive care with minimum risk to themselves or others.

People continued to receive care from staff who had the skills and knowledge required to effectively support them. Staff were well trained and competent. 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 healthcare needs were monitored by the staff and people had access to healthcare professionals according to their individual needs.

People said the staff were kind and very caring. One relative said; “The staff are very caring and patient with mum when she is getting confused.” There was a busy but calm atmosphere in the service. People's privacy was respected. People where possible, or their representatives, were involved in decisions about the care and support people received.

The service remained responsive to people's individual needs. Care and support was personalised to each person which ensured they were able to make choices about their day to day lives. Complaints were fully investigated and responded to. A relative said; “I am confident that if I had any concerns they would be taken seriously.”

People were assisted to take part in a wide range of activities according to their individual interests. Entertainers visited the service and trips out were also planned for people.

The service continued to be well led. People, relatives, professionals and staff told us the registered manager and management team were very approachable. The registered manager and provider sought people's views to make sure people were at the heart of any changes within the home. The registered manager and provider had monitoring systems which enabled them to identify good practices and areas of improvement.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

The Inspection took place on 28 and 29 January and was unannounced. This was Greenacres Care Centre’s first inspection. The service opened in June 2014.

Greenacres provides care and accommodation for up to 39 older people, some of whom are living with dementia or have a physical disability. On the day of the inspection 38 people lived at the home.

The service did not have a registered manager in post. 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. However the home’s manager was in the process of going through the registration process with CQC.

During our inspection people and staff were relaxed and calm and there was a friendly atmosphere. We observed staff and people using the service chatting and enjoying each other’s company. Comments included; “Staff make me feel at home.” People, who were able to tell us, said they were happy living there.

People had their privacy and dignity maintained. We observed staff supporting people and being kind and compassionate.

People and their relatives were very happy with the care they received from staff and said they were knowledgeable and competent to meet their needs. People were encouraged and supported to make decisions and choices whenever possible in their day to day lives.

People were protected by safe recruitment procedures. There were sufficient staff to meet people’s needs and staff received an induction programme. Staff had completed appropriate training and had the right skills to meet people’s needs.

People had access to healthcare professionals to make sure they received appropriate care and treatment to meet their health care needs such as district nurses and GPs. Staff acted on the information given to them by professionals to ensure people received the care they needed to remain safe.

People’s medicines were managed safely. Medicines were managed, stored, given to people as prescribed and disposed of safely. Staff were appropriately trained and confirmed they understood the importance of safe administration and management of medicines.

Safeguarding of vulnerable adults training had been completed and staff knew how to report any concerns and what action they would take to protect people against harm. Staff told us they felt confident any incidents or allegations would be fully investigated.

People were supported to maintain a healthy, balanced diet. People told us they enjoyed their meals and did not feel rushed. One person said, “Lunch was lovely - really really nice.”

People’s care records were computerised and of a high standard. They contained detailed information about how people wished to be supported. Records were regularly updated to reflect people’s changing needs. People and their families were involved in the planning of their care.

Staff confirmed the management of the service was supportive and approachable. Staff were happy in their role and spoke positively about their jobs.

There were quality assurance systems in place. Feedback to assess the quality of the service provided was sought from people and their relatives. Audits were carried out to help ensure people were safe, for example environmental audits were completed.