This inspection took place on 15 January 2019 and was unannounced.

Lashbrook House is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Lashbrook is registered to accommodate up to 46 people in one adapted building. At the time of our inspection there were 43 people using the service. The service supports older people with a range of conditions and includes providing support for people living with dementia.

There was a registered manager in post. 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 our last inspection we rated the service good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format in some domains because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

There was a person-centred culture that valued people as unique individuals and respected their rights. People were treated with kindness and compassion by staff who knew them well.

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.

There was a strong and effective management team who led by example to promote people’s rights and ensure they were supported to live full and meaningful lives. There were effective systems to enable the management team to monitor and improve the service.

Staff were well supported and received training to ensure they had the skills and knowledge to meet people’s needs. Staff were positive about the leadership in the service and the improvements that had been made.

People were not always supported in line with health professional guidance. However, the registered manager took immediate and effective action to address issues raised.

Medicines were managed safely. There were sufficient staff to ensure people’s needs were met in a timely manner. People were protected from harm and abuse by staff who understood their responsibilities to identify and report any concerns.

We carried out this inspection on 31 March 2016 and the inspection was unannounced.

Lashbrook House is a care home providing accommodation for people requiring personal and nursing care. The service supports older people with a variety of conditions which includes people living with dementia. At the time of our visit there were 36 people living in the service.

The service had a new manager who had submitted their application to CQC to become the 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.

The manager was passionate about providing high quality care and was looking at ways to improve the service. A schedule of works had been developed to improve the environment and works were underway when we visited. Where concerns were raised in relation to the quality of care, the manager took prompt and effective action to address issues.

People were positive about living at Lashbrook House and the kindness of staff supporting them. People enjoyed the food and were offered a choice at every meal.

Throughout the inspection there was a cheerful atmosphere and we saw many kind and caring interactions. People were engaged in activities and enjoyed a musical entertainer during the afternoon.

People's needs were assessed and care plans developed to identify how people's needs would be met. Risks to people were identified, however risks were not always managed. Specialist equipment was not regularly monitored to ensure it was being used in line with manufacturers guidance.

Staff felt supported and valued. Staff received regular supervision and training to ensure their skills and knowledge were up to date. Staff understood their responsibilities to identify and report concerns relating to safeguarding vulnerable people. People were supported by staff who understood the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). Staff were kept up to date with people's changing needs through daily meetings. However, staff did not always support people in line with guidance in their care plans.

The manager sought people's views about the service through regular meetings. Questionnaires had been sent out to seek feedback about the service and look for ways to continually improve.

There were effective quality assurance processes in place to monitor and improve the service.