This unannounced inspection took place on the 15 March 2018. At the last inspection in December 2015 this service was rated Good in all the five outcomes we inspected. At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

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

Greystone House Residential Care Home (Greystone House) is a family run residential home for 24 people with mental health difficulties. There were 23 people living in the home on the day of our inspection visit.The home is near to shops and other amenities with good public transport links to the town centre.

We saw, from copies of questionnaires recently completed by relatives they were made welcome by a caring and compassionate management team and staff who supported their family members.. Comments included, "I am very happy with the care and support and have no complaints at all".

Suitable arrangements were in place to protect people from abuse and unsafe care. People at Greystone House told us they felt safe living in the home and the staff were, ‘great’.

Medicines were administered in line with peoples’ prescriptions. Health care needs were met by GPs, district nurses, community psychiatric nurses and hospital consultants.

Staff were trained to understand and report any potential or actual abuse. The registered manager understood how to make appropriate referrals, where necessary.

The service had suitable risk assessments in place and a plan for any foreseeable emergencies.

Staff were appropriately recruited, inducted and trained. Staff received supervision. Staffing levels were suitable but the registered manager was looking at staffing levels at busy times.

The registered manager understood her responsibilities under the Mental Capacity Act 2005. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible. People were asked for consent for all interventions. The policies and systems in the service supported this practice

People told us the food was good and they always enjoyed their meals. There was a choice at all times.

We observed warm and caring interactions between staff and the people they supported. People were relaxed in the company of the staff. People were treated with dignity and privacy was respected at all times.

Up to date care and support plans were in place that reflected the care needed to meet peoples’ assessed needs.

We looked around the building and found there was a refurbishment plan in place to upgrade the home, It was clean and hygienic and a safe place for people to live.

We found equipment had been serviced and maintained as required.

Staff wore protective clothing such as gloves and aprons when needed. This reduced the risk of cross infection. We found supplies were available around the building for staff to use when required.

The registered manager used a variety of methods to assess and monitor the quality of the service. These included regular audits, staff meetings and meetings for people who lived in the home to seek their views about the service provided and how improvements could be made.

The service had information with regards to support from an external advocate should this be required by them.

The service had a complaints procedure which was made available to people on their admission to the home and their relatives. The people we spoke with told us they were happy with the service and had no complaints.

This unannounced inspection took place on 17 December 2015. We last inspected Greystone House in November 2013. At that inspection we found the service was meeting the five regulations that we assessed.

Greystone house is a family run residential home for people with mental health difficulties. The home is near to shops and other amenities with good public transport links to the town centre.

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.

The service carried out risk assessments in order to keep the people who used the service safe during times of crisis.

Some areas of the home required refurbishment and were difficult to keep clean. We made a recommendation about this.

The service had sufficient appropriately recruited staff available to support people.

As part of their recruitment process the service carried out appropriate background checks on new staff.

Staff were aware of how to identify and report abuse.

All staff received regular supervision and appraisal.

People who needed support with nutrition and hydration received it but were supported to make their own choices around food.

People told us that staff were caring and treated them with dignity and respect.

There was a quality assurance system in place at the service.

The registered manager was aware of the changing needs of people who used the service and had plans in place to continue to support them appropriately.

People told us that they were happy and settled in Greystone House.

“I am quite settled here and can go out when I want to”, “The staff are good and I really enjoy my meals” were comments received during our visit.

We saw that staff treated people with respect and they responded well to the staff throughout our visit.

We found that people’s care and support needs had been assessed and kept under regular review to help ensure people received the care they needed. We saw that people had access to health and social care professionals.

We found that there was a sufficient number of staff to provide an appropriate level of care and support.

We spoke to people who live at the home. They told us that they were satisfied with the service they received:

"It's like living in your own house".

"We are well looked after".

"They're alright".

"There's no complaint".

We found that staff had good relationships with the residents of the home. They were well trained and understood the needs of the residents. The owners of the home and the management supported their staff to deliver good quality care and kept up to date, relevant records.

We spoke to most of the people who lived in the home and they were generally very positive about being in Greystone House:

"I have been here for a couple of months and really want to stay".

"I have lived here for over twenty years and I am very settled. My family say I don't know how lucky I am to live in such a nice place...but I do know that!".

"The staff are excellent...I have no complaints. I go out and about and sometimes I have days out with staff".

"I prefer to just go out with one member of staff but sometimes a few of us go places".

"I have a mental illness...I have had it for years and it won't go away so I need to be here and I feel safe here and there is always someone to turn to".

"I see my psychiatrist and they are pleased with how I am here. I have good days and bad but the staff are there for me when I am struggling".