About the service: Harbour House provides accommodation with personal care for up to 20 people. There were 19 people using the service at the time of our inspection.

People’s experience of using the service:

¿ People told us they felt safe living at Harbour House. Staff were knowledgeable about identifying and reporting any safeguarding concerns they may have.

¿ There was a positive approach to risk taking to enable people to maintain their independence.

¿ 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 received personalised care and support specific to their needs and preferences. Each person was treated as an individual. One person told us, “I sleep more these days, but the staff support me to enjoy activities in the lounge from time to time”

¿ One visiting healthcare professional told us, “Staff make such an effort with residents, they go out, they don’t just sit around, and care is always consistent in my opinion”.

¿ People were provided with some activities by the care staff. These were planned and advertised in the service. Some people went out independently others were supported by staff on trips out in the providers mini bus. However, people were not able to access outside space without staff being present. A fence was required to secure the area and we were assured this was being provided.

¿ Relatives told us they had chosen Harbour House for its ‘reputation within the community’ and for its ‘quality of service to older people and their families.’

¿ Throughout the inspection visit we saw many positive interactions between people and the staff and management.

¿We received varied feedback from staff about working at the service. All said they felt able to approach the management team. Comments included, “I love my job here, it is hard sometimes but we all pull together, it has been very tough recently in the afternoons.” and “I sometimes feel that issues I raise do not always get a response, things all take time. On the whole we support each other, and I am pretty happy here.”

¿ Some staff raised that they were feeling particularly ‘pressured’ between 4pm and 8pm when only two staff where on shift. Some people required two staff to support them when needed. This meant that there were no staff available to support other people if needed at that time. The provider assured us this was being addressed.

¿ Harbour House used electronic care plan records. The provision of assessed care was recorded in a timely manner.

¿ The service was due some maintenance with damaged paintwork and some floor covering that showed its age. The provider assured us the service was due to be re-decorated.

Rating at last inspection: This is the first inspection of this service since the provider changed their legal entity and became a limited company.

Why we inspected: This was a planned inspection. The service was rated Good overall.

Follow up: We will continue to monitor the service through the information we receive until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If any concerning information is received we may inspect sooner.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk