Silver Birches is a residential care home for 31 older people. The service is purpose built over two floors and comprises a residential home, a rehabilitation unit and a day centre. There were 15 people living at the service and one person staying in the rehabilitation unit.

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

People were supported by staff that had been recruited safely and were deemed suitable to work in this environment. We found there were sufficient staff to meet people’s needs.

Environmental and individual risk assessments were completed. These were used to identify and minimise the risks to people who used the service.

Staff understood what it meant to safeguard a person and received training in this subject.

Individualised care plans were in place which were reviewed regularly. People’s medicines were managed in a safe way.

Staff received training to ensure they could meet people’s needs safely. They were supported through supervision and appraisals.

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

People’s nutritional needs were effectively met. People spoke positively about the quality of the food, which they enjoyed.

People were supported to access health care professionals when needed. Feedback we received from visiting healthcare professionals was positive. A healthcare professional told us that the staff acted on any advice given and this resulted in improved outcomes for people.

People said the registered manager and staff were helpful and friendly. Staff understood the importance of respecting people's dignity and treating people with respect.

There was a good range of activities available to prevent people from becoming socially isolated. People knew who to speak with if they had any worries or concerns and were confident that action would be taken if they raised any issues.

There was a registered manager in post. They maintained an effective quality assurance system which ensured that the service was well managed and organised. Audits for each area of the service were completed. Feedback was sought from a variety of sources through questionnaires, meetings and one to one conversations.

This inspection took place on 10 February 2015 and was unannounced. We last inspected this service on 11 September 2013 and found no breach of regulations. Silver Birches is a care home providing personal care and accommodation for up to 31 older people over the age of 55 years of age.

The service has four beds which are used to provide rehabilitation for up to six weeks and a day centre which is open on three days a week. The rehabilitation unit provides care and support from physiotherapists and occupational therapists for people who wish to return home in order to improve their physical abilities and skills following illness. On the day of the inspection there were 17 people living at the service, three people in the rehabilitation unit and four people using the day care facilities. The service is purpose built and is designed over two floors around a central outdoor quadrangle. This provides a safe area for people if they wish to spend time outdoors with seating and planted areas.

There was a registered manager at Silver Birches. 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.

We found that this service was safe. When we spoke to people who used the service they told us that they felt safe. We found that staff had been recruited in a safe way and that there was sufficient staff to meet people's needs. The environment was kept safe through regular servicing and checks being carried out. Medicines were administered safely.

People who used the service confirmed they were involved in planning their care and we saw that plans were personalised. People's mental capacity had been assessed where appropriate and we saw evidence of best interest decision making if it was necessary. Staff were properly trained to carry out the work they were employed to do. The environment was suitable for people who used the service.

This service was caring. People said that staff were kind and caring. There were numerous examples of staff having meaningful and positive relationships with the people living in the home throughout the day. Our observations revealed that staff we spoke with had a good knowledge of people, their life histories and their preferences. People were spoken to in a friendly, polite and respectful way with lots of cheerful banter and laughter.

People said they felt their individual needs were addressed. We saw that the care plans were reflective of the person and each person had a care plan that was personal to them. These were reviewed with the person monthly. There was a full programme of activities as well as people being supported to go out in the local community. People were given clear information about how to make a complaint.

This service was well led. All the staff we spoke with told us they felt supported and enjoyed their work. They attended regular staff meetings. There was a clear management structure at the service. The staff we spoke with were aware of the roles of the management team and they told us that the registered manager was approachable and had a regular presence in the service. The registered manager monitored the quality of the care provided by completing regular audits.

We saw that people had individualised care records and risk assessments in place which helped staff to understand and meet people's needs. Everyone we spoke with told us they were generally happy with the care and support they received. One person said “There is no lack of care at all.” During our visit we saw that people looked well cared for and that staff were meeting people’s needs.

People’s nutritional needs were assessed and continued to be monitored. Food being served looked appetising. People could eat wherever they preferred. A person we spoke with said “The menus are lovely they are changed every day. The food is perfect.”

During our visit we saw that there were enough skilled and experienced staff to meet people’s needs. This was confirmed by people we spoke with. However, there was a recruitment drive underway for a number of vacancies at the home. A person we spoke with said “There is no lack of care here.”

The quality of the service being provided was being monitored by the management team. Any issues found were being acted upon. This helped to ensure that people remained satisfied with the service they received. People we spoke with had no complaints to raise about any aspect of the service they received. There were systems in place to deal with any complaints. A person we spoke with said “I would be able to complain, but I have no issues to raise.”

We used a number of different methods to help us understand the experiences of people using the service, including talking to people and observing the care provided.

We spoke with a seven of people who use the service and they told us that the manager visited them before they came into the home and they had an opportunity to discuss what support they needed.

We asked people whether their privacy and dignity was respected and everyone we spoke with said it was. One person told us that “staff always knock on my door and respect my independence” We asked people about their experience of living at the home and they told us the staff were excellent, and very kind and attentive. One person told us “it’s an absolutely marvellous place; the staff are so very kind”. Another person said “It’s a fabulous place to be, you can have anything you want”.

We asked people about making complaints if they were unhappy about any aspect of the service. Without exception the people we spoke with said they would talk to a member of the management team and they felt confident that any complaints would be dealt with swiftly.