The Gables Care Home is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

The Gables Care Home accommodates 55 people in one adapted building all on one level.

This unannounced comprehensive inspection took place on the 23 January 2018. This is the first inspection since the provider was registered with the Care Quality Commission in January 2017

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 were kept safe and staff were knowledgeable about reporting any incidents of harm.

People were looked after by enough staff to support them with their individual needs. Pre-employment checks were completed on staff before they were assessed to be suitable to look after people who used the service. People were looked after by staff who were trained and supported to do their job.

People were safe at the service because the provider had systems in place which minimised risks.

People were helped to take their medicines by staff who were trained and had been assessed to be competent to administer medicines.

Staff were able to demonstrate their understanding of the principles of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005 and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS); these provide legal safeguards for people who may be unable to make their own decisions.

People were treated by kind, respectful staff who enabled them to make choices about how they wanted to live.

People were supported to eat and drink sufficient amounts of food and drink. They were also supported to access health care services and their individual health and nutritional needs were met.

Comprehensive care plans were in place detailing how people wished to be supported and had been produced jointly by staff with people living in the service. People and or their relatives had agreed and were fully involved in making decisions about their care and support.

People participated in a range of activities within the service or in the community and received the support they needed to help them to do this.

People were involved in the running of the service. Regular meetings were held for the people and their relatives so that they could discuss any issues or make recommendations for improvements to how the service was run.

There was a process in place so that people’s concerns and complaints were listened to and were acted upon.

There were clear management arrangements in place. Staff, people and their relatives were able to make suggestions and actions were taken as a result. Quality monitoring procedures were in place and action was taken where improvements were identified.