This inspection was unannounced and took place on 10 and 11 January 2017. We previously inspected the service on 2 December 2013, and found the service was compliant with the five standards inspected.

Lampton House care home provides accommodation and personal care for up to 30 older people, some of whom are living with dementia. The service has a registered manager. 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.

People were relaxed and comfortable with staff that were attuned to their needs. Staff treated people with dignity and respected their privacy, they were discreet when supporting people with personal care. Staff developed positive, kind, and compassionate relationships with people.

People's care was individualised. Staff spoke with pride about the people they cared for and celebrated their achievements. They knew people well, there was a relaxed, calm and happy atmosphere at the home with lots of smiles, good humour, fun and gestures of affection.

Staff understood the signs of abuse and knew how to report concerns, including to external agencies. They completed safeguarding training and had regular updates. Personalised risk assessments balanced risks with minimising restrictions to people's freedom. Accidents and incidents were reported and included measures to continually improve practice and reduce the risks of recurrence.

People appeared happy and content in their surroundings. The service had enough staff to support people's care flexibly around their wishes and preferences.

People experienced effective care and support that promoted their health and wellbeing. Staff had the knowledge and skills needed to carry out their role. Each person had a comprehensive assessment of their health and care needs and care plans had instructions for staff about how to meet those needs. Staff worked closely with local healthcare professionals such as the GP, community nurses and mental health team to improve people's health. People had access to healthcare services for ongoing healthcare support. Staff recognised when a person's health deteriorated and sought medical advice promptly when they were feeling unwell. Health professionals said staff were proactive, sought their advice and implemented it. People received their medicines safely and on time from staff who were trained and assessed to manage medicines safely.

People praised the quality of food and were supported to improve their health through good nutrition. Staff encouraged people to eat a well-balanced diet, make healthy eating choices and to exercise and maintain their mobility.

People and relatives were happy with the service provided at Lampton House. The culture of the home was open, friendly and welcoming. Care was holistic and person centred, staff knew about each person, their lives before they came to live at the home. They understood people's needs well and cared for them as individuals.

People's rights and choices were promoted and respected. Staff understood the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards and involved person, family members and other professionals in 'best interest' decision making.

People pursued a range of hobbies, activities and individual interests. For example, reading, arts and crafts and organised quizzes and games such as Bingo and Scrabble. Where people chose to remain in their rooms, volunteers and staff spent time with them to chat and keep them company.

People received a good standard of care because the staff team were led by the provider and registered manager who set high expectations of standards of care expected. There was a clear management structure in place, staff understood their roles and resp

During our inspection we spoke with ten people who lived at the home. People told us that they liked living at the home. One person told us “I don’t think you can get better than this, I get all the support that I need”.

Interactions between staff and people living in the home were appropriate and respectful. Staff took time not to rush people and listened to what they had to say.

We saw that care plans were reviewed monthly and daily records we viewed confirmed that staff provided people with care and support as described in their care plans.

We saw that regular activities were planned to take place at the home and in the community. The home encouraged people to be part of their local community by entering events such as the local flower show.

People we spoke with told us that they liked the food at the home. People had a choice of meals and staff were aware of people’s preferences in relation to food and drink.

Staff told us that they received effective support and supervision appropriate to their role. This was reflected in records we saw at the home.

We found there were effective systems in place to monitor the quality of the service provided.

There were 29 people living at Lampton House on the day of our visit. We talked with 15 people about the care they received and about daily life at the home.

We met the registered manager and four care workers. We talked with them about the needs of people who used the service.

People had positive views to share with us about what it was like for them to live at Lampton House. Examples of comments people made included, “it's like a first rate guest house”. “The place is my home”. “The staff remember your name”. “The activities organiser is wonderful there is so much to do”. “The staff can’t do enough for you”.

People felt safe and secure living at Lampton House. They were supported by staff who understood their role in safeguarding them from the risks of abuse.

People were receiving a suitable service in a homely and relaxed environment. They were supported by enough skilled and suitable staff to properly meet their needs.

People were supported to make their views known about the service. Complaints were dealt with in an open and transparent way by the manager and provider.

We visited Lampton House on 6 October 2011 and met with a number of the 29 people who lived at the home on the day of our visit, some visitors to the home, including a healthcare professional, and several members of staff, including all the management personnel.

People we met and talked with told us of their experience of living at Lampton Court. All the comments we received were positive and included "I would not want anything here to change" and "staff are very sensitive". We visited all areas inside the home, saw the grounds, and also met with a number of people who live there in their own rooms.

The home was clean and tidy, and well appointed and organised, although one or two areas were in need of some decorative maintenance. The provider attended quickly to a number of small repairs while we were visiting.

We observed care and support being delivered with patience and kindness, and members of staff were well trained and experienced in performing their roles. People told us that they enjoyed the food, and the activities that they took part in. We were told that "staff work hard and there's nothing they won't do for us". There was a happy atmosphere in the home and people said that "staff are usually happy and quite lively. The activities are usually a bit of fun".