The inspection took place on 5 April and was unannounced.

Neale Court is registered to provide accommodation and personal care for up to 23 older people or people living with dementia. There were 21 people living at the service on the day of our inspection.

There was a registered manager in post at the time of our inspection. 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 the legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

The Care Quality Commission is required by law to monitor how a provider applies the Mental Capacity Act, 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) and to report on what we find. DoLS are in place to protect people where they do not have capacity to make decisions and where it is considered necessary to restrict their freedom in some way. This is usually to protect them. The management and staff understood their responsibility and made appropriate referrals for assessment. Five people at the time of our inspection were in the process of having a DoLS authorisation granted.

Staff undertook appropriate risk assessments for all aspects of a person’s care to keep them safe from harm. Care plans were developed to support people’s individual needs. Staff knew what action to take and who to report to if they were concerned about the safety and welfare of the people in their care. People received their prescribed medicine safely from staff that were competent to do so. The registered provider ensured that there were always sufficient numbers of staff on duty to keep people safe.

People were supported to have a healthy and nutritious diet and hot and cold drinks and snacks were available throughout the day. People had their healthcare needs identified and were able to access healthcare professionals such as their GP and dentist. Staff knew how to access specialist professional help when needed.

People were at the centre of the caring process and staff acknowledged them as unique individuals. Relatives told us that staff were kind and caring and we saw examples of good care practice. People were always treated with dignity and respect. People were cared for by staff that were supported to undertake training to improve their knowledge and advance their skills to enable them to perform their roles and responsibilities effectively.

People were supported to have an active life and were encouraged to take part in hobbies and interests of their choice. Relatives commented that their loved ones were well looked after.

People where able, were supported to make decisions about their care and treatment and maintain their independence. People and their relatives had access to information about how to make a complaint. Relatives told us that they could approach staff with concerns and knew how to make a formal complaint to the provider.

The registered provider had introduced robust systems to monitor the quality of the service and make improvements. Staff had access to professional development, supervision and feedback on their performance. People, their relatives and staff found the registered manager approachable.