The inspection took place on 24 October 2016 and was unannounced.

At our last inspection of Lonsdale Court the service was compliant with the regulations in force at that time.

Housing and Care 21, Lonsdale Court provides extra care living accommodation (which is not regulated by CQC) and a domiciliary care service, which is regulated by CQC. The service is available for older people, who may also be living with dementia, physical disabilities or sensory impairments, who live within the extra care complex at Lonsdale Court.

People who use this service are encouraged to remain as independent as possible. Services offered include help with personal care, meals, medication and general domestic duties.

There are some shared facilities available within Lonsdale Court including a communal lounge area where activities and social events take place. People who live at Lonsdale Court are also able to access a communal dining room where a hot lunch can be provided by arrangement.

There is a registered manager at the service. 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.

At this inspection of the service we found that 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 who used this service told us that they felt safe with the care staff who supported them. They felt that staff were good at their job and knew what they were doing. Everyone was very complimentary about the staff and the registered manager at the service. Although one or two people commented that they sometimes had to wait for staff to come and help them, no one raised this with us as a concern or issue.

People had their own copies of their care plans and risk assessments in their flat. People told us that they had been involved in the development of these documents and had been asked about what they needed help with and about the things they could do for themselves. This helped to make sure people were supported to be as independent as possible and were treated with respect and dignity. The people we spoke to during our visit to the service told us that they thought the service provided good care.

We found that staff had been recruited to their roles appropriately and safely. They had been provided with training and supervision to help ensure they improved and maintained their skills and knowledge. Staff told us that they felt well supported by the registered manager at the service.

No one that we spoke to had ever needed to make a complaint about the service. However, people knew who to speak to should they have any concerns to raise. People felt that they would be listened to and that action would be taken if necessary. The service had a procedure in place to help people raise complaints or concerns. There were some gaps in this process which meant that people may not always have had sufficient information about where to direct their concerns.

We have made a recommendation about the complaints processes in place at the service.

The people we spoke to during our inspection of the service were all aware of who the registered manager was and everyone met her frequently. Staff and people who used the service all told us that they felt comfortable speaking to the manager.

Although some people were unsure whether they had been consulted about the quality of the service we did see evidence to confirm that they had. Satisfaction surveys had been carried out, meetings had taken place and informative newsletters had been regularly produced.

We saw that the registered provider had oversight of the quality and safety of the

One person said, “The carers are very kind, wonderful and I wouldn’t change any of them. They do help me but I also like to do things myself and they respect that. They don’t just walk in and do the job they are very friendly and have a chat too.”

Another person told us, “I wish I had known about this service earlier in my life. I cannot complain the staff are wonderful and friendly. I feel secure here and safe with the staff.”

People who used the service told us that they were asked about their opinions of the service. People told us that they were able to speak to the staff and manager at the service “at any time.” One person said, “They listen and take my comments seriously. However, I have never had to complain but I know who to speak to if need be.”

We saw that people had plans about their care needs and about how this support would be provided. People told us that they had been involved in the development of their care plans.

We looked at the way in which people were supported with their medicines. The records belonging to people who only required reminding to take their medicines, were not as clear as they could have been. Although formal medication administration charts were not required for “prompting” medicines, where people are offered this type of support, records should be easily identifiable. We discussed this with the manager during our inspection.

We looked at the way in which new staff had been recruited. From the information and records we checked, we judged that the provider had safe processes in place when appointing new members of staff.

We looked at the way in which the provider gathered the views and opinions of people who used this service. We found that the information gathered had been used to monitor and improve the quality of the service provided.

We asked people how the staff assisted them and what the care staff were like. All three people we spoke with commented positively about the staff and the care they received. People told us that they were assisted with their personal care and that all the staff were patient and caring.

One person told us: “It’s a grand little place you want for nothing”.

We spoke to three people who used the service on the day of our inspection. One person told us:

“My flat is a little palace. The staff care for me very well”.

Another told us:

“Staff make my meals every day and do my washing and cleaning weekly. The staff can come in as they please but they always knock and call my name when they enter. I like to go out and there is no restriction on this but if I am out in the evening I always let they know where I am going. I do have a key for my door and the front door of the unit”.

A further person said:

“Staff help me as much as I want them to. They always ask if I need help but support my independence”.

People we spoke with said they felt safe and well cared for in Lonsdale Court. People said staff were very kind to them and that they had not experienced any member of staff raising their voice or being unkind to them. One person said; “I have no complaints whatever about the care I receive”. Another person said: “If I was unhappy I would tell someone, but I have nothing to complain about”.