This inspection took place on the 29 June 2017 and was unannounced.

Richmond Village Northampton provides accommodation for older people requiring support with their nursing and personal care. The service can accommodate up to 31 people. At the time of our inspection there were 28 people living at the home.

At the last inspection, in July 2015, the service was rated Good. At this inspection we found that the service remained Good.

People continued to receive safe care. Staff were appropriately recruited and people were protected from the risk of harm and received their prescribed medicines safely.

The care that people received continued to be effective. Staff had access to the support, supervision, training and ongoing professional development that they required to work effectively in their roles. People were supported to maintain good health and nutrition.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the home supported this practice.

People developed positive relationships with the staff who were caring and treated people with respect, kindness and empathy. People had detailed personalised care plans in place which enabled staff to provide consistent care and support in line with people’s personal preferences. End of life plans had been sensitively developed; people and their families could be assured that their wishes were followed.

People knew how to raise a concern or make a complaint and the provider had implemented effective systems to manage any complaints that they may receive.

The service had a positive ethos and an open culture. The registered manager was committed to develop the service and actively looked at ways to improve the service. There were effective quality assurance systems and audits in place; action was taken to address any shortfalls.

We conducted a follow up inspection on the 18 November 2013 and found the management had taken appropriate action to ensure people's records were completed in an accurate and timely way. This meant staff could now demonstrate that people’s care had been provided as specified within their individual plan of care and senior staff could assure themselves that people had received safe, effective care and support.

We spoke with two people during our inspection and spent time observing the care that was provided to six people who were unable to recall their experiences or express their views.

Both of the people we spoke with told us they were well cared for and the staff knew the care they needed and how they wished to be supported. Both people told us that they felt safe living at Richmond Village Northampton. One person said “I am very happy here and the staff look after me well”.

People told us they had plenty to eat and drink and that the food was good at Richmond Village Northampton. One person said “you can choose what you want from the menu and they will always get you something else if you ask”.

People told us they thought there were enough staff who had the right skills to care for them safely and that the staff were kind and patient. One person said “the staff are lovely here, they answer the call bell quickly and they often 'pop in' and have a chat”.

We observed that staff were attentive and people were well cared for however we found that the provider was not meeting the essential standard in relation to record keeping because the charts in people’s rooms were not always completed to show that the required care had been provided.

We spoke with five people during our inspection at Richmond Village Northampton. They all told us that the staff involved them in decisions about their care and explained their care needs to them before carrying out any procedures.

The people we spoke with told us that they thought they were well looked after and that the staff knew how they needed and wished to be supported. They also told us that there were activities that they could join in with if they wanted to.

All of the people we spoke with told us that the service supported them in the management of their medication. They told us that the staff ensured that they took the right medication at the right times.

People told us that they thought that the staff had the right skills to care for them safely. One person said “the staff are excellent, I think we are very well looked after here”.

All of the people we spoke with told us that they knew how to make a complaint should they need to do so.

People told us that they had visited the Richmond Care Centre before deciding whether they would live there and that they had received information about the home when they first arrived.

People told us that they were able to exercise choice within their daily lives and were able to maintain their independence and their links with family and friends.

People told us that they were well cared for at the Richmond Care Centre and that the staff were there to support them whenever they needed it.

People told us that they felt safe living at the Richmond Care Centre and that the staff were nice to them. One person commented ‘all the staff here are lovely’.

People told us that they thought that the Richmond Care Centre was well managed.

One person told us that living at the Richmond Care Centre ‘is like living in a country hotel’

This inspection took place on the 13 and 14 July 2015 and was unannounced. The service is registered to provide nursing and personal care to 31 older people who require nursing and personal care; there is a small unit providing care for people living with dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 27 people living there. The premises are purpose built and provide facilities for people with disabilities.

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 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.

Systems were in place to ensure people were protected from abuse; staff had received training and were aware of their responsibilities in raising any concerns about people’s welfare. There were formal systems in place to assess people’s capacity for decision making under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS).

The provider had robust recruitment systems in place; which included appropriate checks on the suitability of new staff to work in the home. Staff received thorough induction training to ensure they had the skills to fulfil their roles and responsibilities. There were enough suitably skilled staff available to meet people’s needs.

Peoples’ care was planned to ensure they received the individual support that they required to maintain their health, safety, independence, mobility and nutrition. People received support that maintained their privacy and dignity and systems were in place to ensure people received their medicines as and when they required them. People had opportunities participate in the organised activities that were taking place in the home and were able to be involved in making decisions about their care.

There was a stable management team and there were robust systems in place to assess the quality of service provided. Records were maintained in good order and demonstrated that people received the care that they needed.