The inspection took place on 17 August 2018 and was unannounced. This is the first inspection of Overstone Retirement Home Limited since the location registered in October 2017.

Overstone Retirement Home Limited is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection. Overstone Retirement Home Limited accommodates 15 people in one adapted building. At the time of the inspection there were 15 people living at the home.

The location was also registered as a domiciliary care agency, however at the time of this inspection this was solely to provide personal care to people living in bungalows on the care home grounds. Not everyone living within the five bungalows received regulated activity; CQC only inspects the service being received by people provided with ‘personal care’; help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also take into account any wider social care provided. At the time of the inspection there was only one person receiving regulated activity.

At the time of the inspection a new manager had recently been appointed but had already started her application to register with the commission. 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 told us they felt safe and were happy living at the home. We saw appropriate training was in place to ensure staff were knowledgeable about safeguarding procedures. In addition to safeguarding, staff received regular training as part of a mandatory training program. Areas included dementia care, fire safety, health and safety and nutrition.

Staff recruitment followed a clear process and completed appropriate checks to ensure staff were safe to work with vulnerable people. The rotas we reviewed showed staffing levels to be consistent and both people and staff told us there were sufficient staff on duty each day.

People were complimentary of the food provided. The cook told us they had flexibility with the menu. They said if people requested specific foods the menu could always be adapted.

The manager and staff were knowledgeable about the Mental Capacity Act and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards. At the time of the inspection there was no one deprived of their liberty but the staff were aware of the processes they needed to complete if they felt someone did not have capacity.

Family and people were very complimentary about the staff and the management team. One person we spoke to described the home as a hotel, with another saying this was their home now and they were happy there.

The home had regular activities available, such as daily film night and a weekly exercise class. In addition to that people described on off activities that took place such as a magician or family Christmas buffet.

The manager had appropriate audits in place to ensure the care provided was safe and the service was meeting all the required standards. Every eight weeks, people were asked their opinions on a number of areas of the service such as staffing, housekeeping, laundry and food.

Medicines were managed safely. People were supported with their medicines in a caring manor, where people had the capacity to manage their medicines they were encouraged to do so.