We undertook the inspection of Shallcott Hall on the 12 and 14 November 2018. This inspection was unannounced on the first day, which meant that the provider did not know we would be visiting.

Shallcott Hall is a 'care home'. 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.

The care home accommodates nine people in one building providing nursing care and personal care. At the time of our inspection six people were accommodated in the home.

At the last inspection the service was rated as Good. At this inspection we found the service remained good.

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 provider had a quality assurance system in place and people’s views were sought yearly so that improvements could be made to the service.

Staff received supervision an annual appraisal and training. Staff had checks completed prior to starting work at the service.

People and staff all felt the home was safe and the management were accessible.

People felt the staff were kind and caring. People's care plans were person centred and contained important information relating to their likes and dislikes.

No complaints had been received since the last inspection and all people felt able to raise any concerns with the registered manager.

People had choice of when and what they ate and all could make drinks within their room if they wished.

People arranged their medical appointments when they wanted and people could come and go as they wished.

We inspected this service on the 1 August 2016. This was an unannounced inspection. At our last inspection in July 2013 no concerns were identified.

Shallcott Hall provides accommodation and personal care for up to eight people who do not have nursing care needs. At the time of this inspection there were seven people living at the home. Shallcott Hall has eight bedrooms, a kitchen, dining room, lounge, office, laundry room, deputy manager flat and gardens.

There was a registered manager in post who was also the provider. 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 could be at risk of cross infection due to communal bathrooms having hand towels in place and not disposable towels. People had detailed care plans that were personalised to them but risk assessments relating to cleaning products required additional information on specific products used. People’s personal evacuation plans had details of what support the person might require in an emergency but there was no photo of who the plan related to.

People were supported by staff who had checks completed prior to commencing their employment. People felt safe and staff were able to demonstrate what action they would take should they have concerns to people’s safety.

People were supported by staff who received regular supervision and training to ensure they were competent and skilled to meet their individual care needs.

People received their medicines safely and when required by staff who had received training. People were supported by adequate staffing levels and staff supported people in a kind and caring manner. Staff demonstrated they knew people well and felt supported and able to raise any concerns with the registered manager.

People had positive relationships with their care workers and felt able to make decisions about the care they received. Changes in people’s needs were identified and their care package amended to meet their changing needs. The provider had a quality assurance system to monitor the quality and safety of the service and to identify any areas for improvement.

The service was flexible and people and relatives views were sought so that improvements could be made. People were happy with the care and felt able to raise a complaint if they had one. People had unrestricted access and were able to come and go as they pleased. Visitors were able to visit as often as they liked.

When we visited eight people were using the service. Four people were out but we were able to meet and spend time with the four people who remained at the home. We also met with a visitor, both managers and a member of staff.

The people we met had lived at the home for many years and all were able to access the community without staff support. They told us they were able to make their own decisions about how and where they spent their day. Comments included “I come and go as I please. We all have a key to the front door and our bedrooms” and “I live my own life. That’s what I love about it here.”

The people we spoke with told us that they could see their doctor when they needed. Comments included “they are brilliant. They will make an appointment as soon as you ask” and “the surgery is only around the corner and the staff will always come with you if you want them to.” The care records we looked at recorded information about people’s contact with health care professionals. This detailed the advice provided and any treatment prescribed.

The home’s safeguarding procedures minimised risks to the people who lived at the home.

Systems were in place which meant that staff received appropriate levels of support and training to enable them to meet the needs of the people who lived at the home.

Systems were in place to monitor and improve the quality of the service people received.

We visited Shallcott Hall on 9 January 2013 and talked to all of the people who lived there. We spoke to staff on duty about how they were supported to meet people's needs.

People told us that they were able to make decisions for themselves and were encouraged to do so by staff. We saw detailed assessments and comprehensive care plans and people told us they were involved in planning their care. They were supported to do things they enjoyed doing. One person said that “it is lovely here, I am enjoying living here I am very free and it feels like home”.

We were told that staff are “easy going”, “very pleasant and respectful”, “our independence is not taken away from us. We were told that if there are difficulties the manager will “sort these out for us very quickly”.

Staff told us that they felt well supported and had access to the training they needed.

Every person we met was totally positive about how they are supported by the staff team. Examples of comments people made included, “the owners have made me feel part of their family”, “I came for a weekend and I’ve stayed 15 years”, “this is my home and I would not want to live any where else”, and “it’s perfect here ”.

We saw people being supported by staff who had a kind sensitive manner. We saw that care plans have enough information to properly support and guide staff, to ensure people receive the care they need.

People benefit from being cared for by staff who have done a variety of training to help them understand the care and support they need. It would be beneficial if there were up to date supervision records kept to show that people are being supervised in the work they do.

We saw that people are consulted about the care and support they receive. This information is used to improve the quality of service and the overall care people receive.