This was an unannounced inspection that took place on 18 January 2017.

Gwendolen Road Care Home is a residential care service providing accommodation and personal care for up to 14 adults. The service specialises in supporting people with learning disabilities, mental health needs and dementia. At the time of our inspection there were seven people using the service.

The service has a registered manager. This 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 told us they felt safe using the service. We saw they were relaxed and comfortable and happy to approach staff and managers with questions or to socialise with them. They also got on well with each other and were considerate to each other’s needs.

There were enough staff on duty to keep people safe, meet their needs, and enable them to take part in activities both at the service and in the wider community. The provider operated a robust recruitment procedure to help ensure the staff employed were safe to work with people using care services.

Staff worked effectively with people and were knowledgeable about their needs, likes and dislikes. They understood the way the different people they supported communicated their needs both verbally and non-verbally and responded effectively to them. The staff team was multilingual and able to converse with people in Gujarati and English.

People and relatives told us the food was of a good standard. People had a choice of English and Indian dishes and were seen to enjoy their food which was wholesome and well-presented. If people needed assistance to eat their meals staff provided this. Some people were able to help staff with the cooking and said they enjoyed this.

Staff supported people to maintain good health. Their healthcare needs were assessed when they came to the service and records showed people had access to a range of healthcare professionals including GPs, learning disability and mental health practitioners, district nurses, chiropodists, opticians, and dentists.

People got on well with the staff and took an interest in their families. They were keen to tell us that a staff member had had a baby which had been brought to the service for them to see. By involving people in their family lives staff helped people to feel valued and part of a wider social circle.

Relatives told us there was a friendly and relaxing atmosphere at the service and they were always made to feel welcome when they visited. They said staff included them in their family’s member’s care and support and took account of their opinions and suggestions.

People’s needs and preferences were recorded in their care plans so staff had the information they needed to support them in the way they wanted. Records showed that people’s well-being and level of independence had increased since coming to the home.

People said they enjoyed the activities provided at the service. A craft session was taking place of the day of our inspection visit and people were enjoying this. Activities care plans listed people’s hobbies and interests and stated how staff were going to support them with these.

People were involved in how the service was run. One person was able to show visitors round all the communal areas and enjoyed doing this. Two people sat on staff interview panels. One person has shown an interest in learning office skills so the registered manager and staff were teaching her these. People were invited to join the staff on training courses, for example one person has completed their food safety training.

People and relatives we spoke with all commented on the quality of the premises and the positive effect this had on them. The premises were spacious and well-maintained and presented.