This inspection took place on 7 and 13 August 2018 and was unannounced. At the time of our inspection, there were 47 people receiving both nursing care and residential care at the service.

At the last inspection in November 2015, we identified a breach of Regulation 12 of the Health and Social Care Act (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 Safe care and treatment. This was because equipment used to support people had not been subject to regular examination to ensure it remained safe to use. We asked the provider to complete an action plan to show what they would do and by when to improve the key question; ‘Is the service safe?’ to a rating of at least good.

At this inspection we saw there had been improvements made in this area and the service was compliant with all relevant health and social care regulations. The breach we identified in November 2015 had been addressed and the rating for the key question; ‘Is there service safe?’ is now good.

Pennington Court Nursing Home is a 'care home'. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. The Care Quality Commission regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection. The service provides residential, nursing and intermediate care services for a maximum of 62 people. Accommodation is arranged over two floors with communal lounges, dining areas and bathing facilities available. All bedrooms are single occupancy and many have ensuite toilet facilities.

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.

The registered manager was extremely passionate about delivering very high standards of care to people using the service. They had established excellent links within the local community and worked collaboratively with other professionals.

The provider demonstrated a strong commitment to ensuring people received care based on best practice guidance, with the aim of achieving the best possible outcomes. They gave people, their relatives and staff ways of sharing their opinions and ideas for any improvements that could be made. Staff told us they were proud to work at the service. They said the registered manager was very supportive and the provider gave them opportunities for professional development.

The provider had gone to great lengths to ensure people had access to a wide range of meaningful activities. This included trips out to places that people said they wanted to visit. We saw many examples of where the involvement of the local community had enabled people to feel included and maintain the links they previously had. People were also supported by staff to develop new interests which contributed to their overall wellbeing. People told us they looked forward to things and felt excited by activities, visits and events at the service. This demonstrated activities were truly meaningful for people.

Without exception, people and their relatives gave consistent, positive feedback about the service. This included the approach of staff, the food, the range of meaningful activities that were on offer to them and the accommodation.

People and their relatives gave very positive feedback about the food at the service. People said they looked forward to their meals and relatives told us they were happy to see their loved ones with an appetite and putting weight on. The provider had a number of mechanisms in place to monitor the quality of the catering and we saw people's feedback was used to make improvements.

People told us they felt safe at the service and were well supported by staff who were caring and friendly. Staff told us they were

We inspected Pennington Court Nursing Home on the 24 November 2015 and the visit was unannounced. At the last inspection in August 2013, we found the provider was meeting the regulations we inspected.

Pennington Court nursing home provides residential, nursing and intermediate care services for a maximum of 62 people. Accommodation is arranged over two floors with communal lounges, dining areas and bathing facilities available. All bedrooms are single occupancy and a few have en-suite facilities.

At the time of the inspection, the service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). A registered manager is a person who has registered with the 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.

People told us they felt safe. Staff had a good understanding of safeguarding vulnerable adults and knew what to do to keep people safe. People were protected against the risks associated with medicines because the provider had appropriate arrangements in place to manage medicines safely.

We found there were systems in place to protect people from risk of harm and appropriate recruitment procedures were in place. There were policies and procedures in place in relation to the Mental Capacity Act 2005. Staff were trained in the principles of the Mental Capacity Act (2005) and could describe how people were supported to make decisions. Where people did not have the capacity; decisions were made in their best interests.

We found two slings whereby the Velcro had been compromised by debris within the fabric. Debris within Velcro compromises the ‘sticking’ and as such the Safe Working Load may not be achieved. Therefore putting people at risk of falls.

There were enough staff to keep people safe. Staff training and support provided staff with the knowledge and skills to support people safely.

People told us they received the support they needed with meals and healthcare. Health, care and support needs were effectively assessed. People had regular contact with healthcare professionals, this helped ensure their needs were met.

People were supported by staff who treated them with kindness and were respectful of their privacy and dignity. People participated in a range of activities and were able to choose where they spent their time.

The service had good management and leadership. People had opportunity to comment on the quality of service and influence service delivery. Effective systems were in place which ensured people received safe and quality care. Complaints were investigated and responded to appropriately.

We found the home was in breach of Regulation 12(2)(e) (Safe care and treatment) of Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014.

You can see what action we told the provider to take at the back of the full version of the report.

We used a number of different methods to help us understand the experiences of people who used the service including speaking with people who used the service and their relatives, observing the care being delivered, talking with staff and looking at records in the home.

During our visit, we saw staff interacting with people in a positive, respectful and caring manner. Everyone we spoke with were very complimentary about the staff who provided care to them. One person said, “I’m getting on champion. They look after us very well here, they couldn’t do any better. They always tell you what is going on ” Another person told us, “The staff are beautiful and that’s the main thing, I love them all, they really listen to me and help me whenever I need.”

We spoke with two relative. Both spoke highly of the staff and care which they provided to people. One relative said, “I can’t fault the staff here. I would recommend it here to anyone.”

The home was very clean and had systems in place to reduce the risk of infection.

We saw evidence which showed that appropriate checks were undertaken before staff began work to make sure they had the relevant experience and skills for the role.

The home had an effective system in place to identify, assess and manage risks to the health, safety and welfare of people who used the service.

During our visit we spoke with four people who were living in or staying at Pennington Court and two visiting relatives to gain their views of the service. People were complimentary about the standard of care provided by the staff in the home with comments such as: “I am very happy with the care in this home;” and: “I can highly recommend this place.”

One person told us how staff in the home supported her in regaining her mobility following an accident and a stay in hospital, to enable her return to her own home in the near future. People told us about how they were able to express their views and were involved in making decisions about their care and treatment.

People spoken with said they were happy living in the home and we saw people appeared happy and comfortable with staff in their interactions with them. We spoke with five members of staff who told us they enjoyed working at the home. One member of staff commented: “I really enjoy working here very much” and another said: “All the staff here are very supportive and we work well as a team.”

People spoken with said they had no concerns or complaints about the home at this time. People told us they felt able to speak out if they needed anything and believed the staff or the manager would act on their concerns without the fear they would be discriminated against for making a complaint.