This inspection took place on 9 January 2018 and was unannounced.

Scholars Mews is a care home which provides personal care to older people including some people who are living with dementia. Scholars Mews is registered to provide care for up to 64 people. At the time of our inspection there were 30 people living at the home, however one person was in hospital.

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, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Scholars Mews was previously registered under the provider name of Avery Homes RH Limited and at our inspection in September 2016 we rated the service as ‘Good’. Subsequently, the legal entity of the provider changed to Avery Homes (Nelson) Limited and Scholars Mews became newly registered under that provider name in December 2016. Therefore, this was the provider's first inspection at this location since newly registering with us in December 2016.

The home is required to have a registered manager. 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run. At the time of this inspection the home had a registered manager in post.

People felt Scholars Mews was a safe place to live because there were always enough staff to provide their support. Staff understood people's individual risks to their health and wellbeing and took appropriate action to minimise them. They had received training in safeguarding and understood the provider’s policies for safeguarding and whistleblowing. Staff recorded any accidents and incidents and these were analysed to ensure action was taken to reduce the risks of them occurring again. The safety of the environment and equipment was audited as part of the quality management systems within the home.

People were supported to see healthcare professionals for routine appointments or when a change in their health was identified. People received their medicines safely to protect their health and well-being. People’s care plans included their future wishes for end of life care and staff understood the importance of supporting people to receive a good end of life.

Staff received training, supervision and encouragement to gain further qualifications which supported them in meeting people's needs effectively. Managers and staff understood their responsibilities under the Mental Capacity Act 2005. People’s rights were not restricted unless a decision had been made in a person’s best interests, because they did not have the capacity to understand risks to their wellbeing.

People received care that was responsive to their identified needs because staff knew them well and understood what was important to them. Staff were thoughtful, kind and polite and had a positive attitude to their work and spoke with enthusiasm about caring for people. They promoted people’s equality and diversity and respected who they were. Meals were a sociable occasion and people enjoyed the meals provided.

Systems were in place which continuously assessed and monitored the quality of the service and people were encouraged to share their views and provide feedback about the care they received. The registered manager promoted an open and transparent culture where accidents were learned from and good practice was celebrated. Staff felt Scholars Mews was a good place to work and felt supported by managers and each other.