Meadow Bank Care Home is registered to provide care for up to 110 older people including people living with dementia and people who require nursing care in four single storey units. Accommodation is in single fully furnished bedrooms and each unit has assisted bathing facilities, dining and lounge areas. The laundry services and kitchen facilities are centrally located within the administration block and main reception area.

This inspection took place on 05, 06 and 07 March 2018, and the first day was unannounced. It was the first inspection of the home since a change in ownership took place in December 2017.

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Meadow Bank 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, both of which we looked at during this inspection

There was no registered manager in place. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) 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. However, we saw evidence the manager at Meadow Bank was in the process of registering.

The manager and staff worked hard to understand people’s backgrounds, preferences to care and how they liked to be supported. Care records we reviewed included their life histories to help employees gain a better awareness of each person.

People and staff said they felt the management team was visible about the home and the new manager was experienced and had good leadership skills. We saw records demonstrated action had been taken when the provider’s wide-ranging quality assurance systems identified issues.

People we spoke with told us they felt safe and comfortable at the home. Staff had safeguarding training to enhance their skills to protect people from potential abuse, inappropriate support or poor care.

We reviewed rotas and found staffing levels and skill mixes were sufficient to help people with a timely approach. The manager checked staff learning with competency testing and question sessions, which covered multiple areas including personal care, infection control and the Mental Capacity Act. .

We noted staff gave people their medicines with a safe and patient approach. All the staff who administered medication received training and competency testing to underpin their skill and knowledge. One person said, “The staff are very effective, good with your medication.”

Staff promoted lunch as a sociable occasion and ensured a welcoming atmosphere during mealtimes. They documented people’s preferences and special diets, whilst frequently checking their weights and monitoring their health against any potential concerns.

During our inspection, we saw staff continuously asked people’s permission before they undertook any tasks. Staff had training and understood the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and associated Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS).

When we discussed the principles of good care, staff demonstrated a good level of awareness. This was enhanced by clear involvement of people and their relatives in their care planning. One person who lived at Meadow Bank told us, “Very nice staff. Yes, they’re kind and compassionate.”