Holly House Care Home is a residential care home for a maximum of 38 older people, some of whom may be living with dementia. The service is situated in the village of Burringham, which is close to Scunthorpe and its facilities. It consists of three separate interlinked buildings, in which communal facilities are provided in dining rooms and various lounges. There is a passenger lift to assist people with accessing the upper floor of one building, but this is currently out of commission and so this building is not used. The two buildings in use consist of only ground floor accommodation. A secure, enclosed garden area is available and there is ample car parking space.

At the last inspection in 2015 the service was rated Good.

At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

The inspection of Holly House Care Home took place on 9 October 2017 and was unannounced. At the time of our visit there were 23 people using the service. The provider was required to have a registered manager in post. On the day of the inspection there was a manager that had been registered for three years.

People were protected from the risk of harm by systems to manage safeguarding concerns and staff were trained in safeguarding adults from abuse. Staff understood their responsibilities in managing safeguarding concerns. Risks were managed so that people avoided any harm. The premises were safely maintained with documentary evidence to support this. Staffing numbers were sufficient to meet people’s need and we saw that rosters cross referenced with the staff that were on duty. Recruitment systems ensured people’s safety as staff were checked for their suitability. The management of medicines was safe.

Staff employed were qualified, competent and regularly supervised. Their personal performance was checked at an annual appraisal. People’s mental capacity was appropriately assessed and their rights were protected. 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 adequate nutrition and hydration to maintain their health and wellbeing.

The premises were not always suitably decorated or illuminated. Some areas needed redecoration as parts of the décor were worn and tired looking. We made a recommendation regarding the re-decoration of some bedrooms and the brightness in some areas. Other areas were suitably decorated, brighter and more airy.

People were cared for by compassionate staff that knew about their needs and preferences. Staff sought people's consent before providing support and involved them in their care wherever possible. People’s wellbeing, privacy, dignity and independence were respected. This ensured people felt satisfied and were enabled to take control of their lives.

People were supported in accordance with person-centred care plans, which reflected their needs and were regularly reviewed. Activities, pastimes and means of occupation were provided so that people were entertained and enabled to socialise. People had very good family connections and support networks. People and their friends and relatives were encouraged to maintain relationships of their choosing. An effective complaint system was used and complaints were investigated without bias.

The service was well-led and people had the benefit of a friendly culture and management style that was supportive. An effective system was in place for checking the quality of the service using meetings, audits and satisfaction surveys. People and their relatives made their views known through direct discussion with the registered manager or via the complaint and quality monitoring systems. People’s privacy and confidentiality were maintained as records were held securely in the premises.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

We found there was a homely and welcoming atmosphere throughout the service on the day of our visit, with staff providing support and gentle reassurance to people where this was required.

People who used the service and their relatives told us that staff were "Very good" and took prompt action to involve medical professionals, when this was needed. One relative said, “Staff keep me informed and contact me when it is needed.”

People who used the service told us they were comfortable and felt safe in the home. Relatives told us they were, “Very confident” that appropriate action would be taken if this was required.

We found the provider had invested in the building to enable improvements to be made. We saw that records were kept of checks and servicing of equipment, to ensure people’s safety was promoted.

We observed staff demonstrated a commitment to their work and were enthusiastic about their roles. We saw that training on a variety of courses was delivered, to ensure staff had the right skills to perform their work.

There was evidence the manager adopted an open and listening approach, to ensure people’s views were considered. People who used the service and their relatives told us they had no complaints about the quality of the service that was delivered. One person told us they had, “No worries, staff do a good job.”

We found there were various systems in place, to enable the quality of the service to be monitored by the provider.

During our site visit we talked with people who used the service in the lounge areas of the home. We observed care practices and saw how staff and people interacted with each other. Throughout our visit, we observed staff treated people with dignity and respect using a positive, friendly and kind approach.

People who used the service told us staff were “Friendly and kind” and said their wishes and needs were respected. People said staff listened to them and that they were consulted about how support was provided.

People said staff were “Great” and supported them well to ensure their heath needs were met. People told us that they were able to see their GP and community nurse when required.

People told us they were “Very comfortable” and felt “Safe” living in the home. People said they had had no concerns and that staff treated them well.

People who used the service told us that staff were “Helpful” and provided support in a positive and professional way.

People told us they had "No complaints" about the service and were confident their views were taken seriously by the manager. People who used the service confirmed they were asked their views about support that was provided and were able to make suggestions to help develop the home.

The local authority contracting and commissioning had recently carried out a review of the service and they told us they had no concerns about the service.

We undertook this unannounced inspection over one day, on 15 September 2015. The service was last inspected on 14 August 2013 when it was found to be compliant with the regulations inspected.

Holly House Care Home provides accommodation and personal care for up to 49 older people some of whom may be living with dementia. The service is situated in the village of Burringham, close to Scunthorpe and its facilities. At the time of our inspection there were 17 people using the service.

Holly House Care Home consists of three separate interlinked buildings. Communal facilities are provided with a dining room and various lounges. There is a lift to assist people with accessing the upper floors. Secure garden areas are available and there is ample parking space.

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.

Staff understood their roles and responsibilities for reporting safeguarding or whistleblowing concerns about the service and training in this area had been provided to them, to ensure they knew how to recognise signs of potential abuse.

A variety of training was regularly provided to staff to enable them to safely carry out their roles. Regular supervision and appraisals of staff skills were undertaken to enable their individual performance to be monitored and help them develop their careers.

Recruitment checks were carried out on new staff to ensure they were safe to work with vulnerable people and did not pose an identified risk to their wellbeing.

People who lacked the capacity to make informed decisions were supported by staff who had received training about the promotion of people’s human rights to ensure their freedoms were not restricted. Systems were in place to ensure decisions made on people’s behalf were carried out in their best interests.

People were able to make choices from a variety of nutritious and wholesome meals and assessments about their nutritional status and associated risks were monitored with the involvement of specialist health care professionals when required.

People received their medicines as prescribed and systems were in place to ensure medicines were managed safely.

A range of opportunities were provided to enable people to engage and participate in meaningful activities.

There was a complaints procedure in place to enable people to raise concerns about the service and people knew how to raise a complaint. We found evidence to confirm complaints were investigated and resolved wherever this was possible.

Regular management checks were carried out to enable the quality of the service to be assessed and enable the identification of any changes required to ensure the service could learn and develop.