Guide Lane Nursing Home is a purpose built care home for up to 38 people in Audenshaw. At the time of the inspection the home was full, with 13 people receiving residential support and 25 receiving nursing care.

At our last inspection 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.

People said they felt safe at the service. Recruitment was robust at the service, there was a low turnover of staff and staffing levels were appropriate

There were appropriate safeguarding and whistle blowing policies, staff had undertaken training and were confident of the reporting procedures.

There were individual and general risk assessments which were complete and up to date and all required health and safety measures were in place. Medicines systems were safe and infection prevention and control measures were in evidence.

Care files included thorough assessments and relevant health and support information was complete and up to date. There was a thorough induction for new staff and the training matrix evidenced that mandatory and supplementary training was undertaken regularly.

The service offered a good choice of nutritious food and people were kept well hydrated with plenty of drinks throughout the day. The environment was clean and tidy, well-lit with both natural and with appropriate signage.

The service was working within the legal requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS).

People told us staff were kind and caring and we observed staff delivering support with patience, kindness and compassion. People’s dignity and privacy was respected at all times

People, where appropriate, were involved in all aspects of their care planning and reviews.

There was information available for people who were considering using the service, and their relatives.

Care plans were person-centred and were audited on a monthly basis. There were processes in place to listen to people who used the service, relatives and staff, and respond appropriately.

There was an activities coordinator who organised and monitored a range of activities, events and trips out at the home.

Staff at the home were working to completed Six steps end of life training. This would help them to support people in line with their wishes at the end of their lives.

We saw compliments received by the home. There was a complaints policy and procedure in place, which was appropriate and up to date and was displayed prominently within the home.

Staff told us they were well supported by the management team. The registered manager held a surgery on a weekly basis that helped ensure people could come and talk to her with any concerns or suggestions.

Care staff had at least two formal supervisions per year as well as annual appraisals to evaluate their roles and look at their training and development needs. Team meetings were held on a regular basis, for different sections of staff.

The service encouraged community links and enjoyed good relationships with the local schools, nursery and church.

There were regular checks and audits undertaken at the service. All audits and checks had clearly recorded action plans and dates for completion of actions. These were signed off when completed and helped ensure the home was continually improving.

All of the people we spoke with said they were happy at Guide Lane Nursing Home. One person told us "I love my bedroom. Nothing is too much trouble for the staff". We were also told that people felt involved in their care with their views and opinions being respected and taken into consideration.

People told us that they were happy with the care and support they were receiving. One visiting relative told us "The care my wife gets here is unbelievable, I am extremely happy with the care".

All the people we spoke with told us that they felt safe living in the home and were clear about how to report concerns or any worries they may have.

The service was last inspected on 4 and 8 April 2013 and at the time was meeting all regulations assessed during the inspection. This inspection was carried out over two days on 3 and 4 February 2015. Our visit on 3 February was unannounced.

Guide Lane Nursing Home is registered to provide both residential and nursing care for up to 41 older people. There were 32 people living at the service when we visited.

There was a registered manager at the home.

‘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 building was well maintained, clean, tidy and free of any unpleasant odours.

People who used the service and who were sat in communal lounges had side tables next to their chairs with their choice of jugs of juice and personal belongings such as puzzle books, glasses, magazines and photographs. People who used the service and the visitors we spoke with were positive and very complimentary about the overall service, attitude, skills and competency of the staff team. Individual care was assessed and planned and was subject to regular review.

There was appropriate communication between all levels of staff at the home.

We found robust policies and procedures were in place for staff recruitment and the personnel files we looked at indicated that all relevant pre-employment checks had been completed before a member of staff started work in the home. A full induction was carried out during the first three months of employment and records on file demonstrated this.

The registered manager was proactive in service delivery and led by example spending time working with staff and supporting them whilst carrying out their care duties.

Nursing staff had regular clinical supervision and had access to training that supported their ongoing professional development. Records and discussion with staff working in home confirmed that regular supervision and annual appraisals had taken place and were ongoing.

The provision of food was good and regular activities were available for those people who wished to participate. A dedicated activities organiser was employed in the home.

Information which we received from a range of health and social care professionals who had regular contact with the home were very positive and complimentary about the care and support provided by the whole staff team.