This inspection took place on 21 November 2017 and was unannounced. Lavender Lodge is a ‘care home’ and provides accommodation for up to 20 people living with dementia. People in care homes receive accommodation and personal care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection. There were 18 people living at the service on the day of our inspection.

This is the first inspection of the service since there was a change of provider.

There was a registered manager for 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.

The registered manager told us the service had been through a significant period of change since the change of ownership in 2015, with a new registered manager and deputy manager, and a number of changes to the staff. There was an ongoing plan being followed to improve the environment in which people lived. Improvements already made had included redecoration, new floorings, new furnishings, a review of security with new locks and keypads, a new call bell system, setting up a new sensory room and the provision of two new wet rooms. There was a maintenance programme in place which ensured repairs were carried out in a timely way, and checks were completed on equipment and services. Accidents and incidents had been recorded and appropriate action had been taken and recorded by the registered manager.

People and their relatives told us they felt people were safe. They felt it was somewhere where they could raise concerns and they would be listened to. A relative told us, “Nothing is cosmetic, it is all functional, it happens. With security comes contentment in spite of the dementia.” Another relative told us, “I bought my mother here for safety now I have peace of mind. She can walk downstairs alone but she is well supervised. She can wash herself but they supervise her bathing.” Policies and procedures were in place to safeguard people. Staff were aware of what actions they needed to take in the event of a safeguarding concern being raised. Medicines were stored correctly and there were systems to manage medicine safely. Audits and stock checks were completed to ensure people received their medicines as prescribed.

People's individual care and support needs were assessed before they moved into the service. Relatives told us where possible people had been involved in making decisions about their care and treatment and they had also felt listened to. Care and support provided was personalised and based on the identified needs of each individual. Personalisation and person centred care focused on people having choice and control in their life, and was at the forefront of the care delivered. People’s care and support plans and risk assessments were detailed and reviewed regularly giving clear guidance for care staff to follow. People’s healthcare needs were monitored and they had access to health care professionals when they needed to.

Consent was sought from people with regard to the care that was delivered. All staff understood about people’s capacity to consent to care and had a good understanding of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and associated legislation. Staff told us they always asked for people’s consent before they provided any care and support.

People, relatives and staff told us staffing levels were sufficient. The registered manager monitored people’s dependency in relation to the level of staffing needed to ensure people’s care and support needs were met. People were cared for by staff who had been recruited through safe procedures. Staff told us they were supported to develop their skills and knowledge by receiving training which helped them to ca