This inspection took place on 2 May 2018 and was unannounced, this meant the provider and staff did not know we would be visiting.

The Maple 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 Maple was registered for 63 beds and accommodated 47 people at the time of the inspection. 14 people lived on the ground floor, 11 people on the middle floor and 22 people lived on the top floor.

The service was last inspected January 2017 and we found that the service was not meeting all the requirements of Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations. We found concerns relating records not being fully completed, audits were not effective and although feedback was sought no action was taken following the results. Following that inspection, we asked the provider to complete an action plan to show what they would do, and by when, to improve the rating of the key questions to at least good. At this inspection we found the service had improved to good.

The provider had introduced electronic care plans. We found these easy to navigate and records were now fully complete. There were some care plans in place that were not relevant to the person, the registered manager was arranging for these to be removed. Care plans contained detailed information about people’s personal preferences and wishes as well as their life histories.

Audits took place and action plans were developed and addressed. Feedback was sought for different areas of the service, for example feedback on laundry, activities and the menu. We could see an action plan was produced and followed in response to people's comments.

Risks to people arising from their health and support needs as well as the premises were assessed, and plans were in place to minimise them.

People received their medicines safely, however work was needed to improve the application of topical medicines, this was addressed the day after the inspection.

People were supported to access the support of health care professionals when needed.

Safeguarding principles were well embedded and staff displayed a good understanding of what to do should they have any concerns.

There were enough staff to meet people's needs. Robust recruitment and selection procedures were in place and appropriate checks had been undertaken before staff began work. Staff told us they received training to be able to carry out their role. Staff received effective supervision and a yearly appraisal.

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 service supported this practice.

People received a varied and nutritional diet that met their preferences and dietary needs.

The interactions between people and staff showed that staff knew the people well.

The management team were approachable and they, and the staff team, worked in collaboration with external agencies to provide good outcomes for people. People, relatives and staff felt any concerns would be taken seriously and acted on.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

This inspection took place on 16 and 27 January 2017. The first day of inspection was unannounced, which meant that the staff and registered provider did not know that we would be visiting.

The Maple is a purpose built care home. It provides residential care and accommodation for up to 63 people, including older people and people with dementia. Accommodation is provided over three floors, with each floor having private bedrooms with en-suite facilities, and communal bathrooms, lounge and dining areas. The home has a secure garden area and private parking facilities. At the time of inspection there were 57 people using the service.

There was a registered manager in place. 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.

Some care records were not fully completed or accurate. Checks undertaken by the registered manager and staff were not always documented.

Comprehensive audits of the service were undertaken and actions followed up, however they had not identified all of the issues we found. Feedback was sought from people and their relatives via surveys but no action plans were produced as a result of their findings.

Systems were in place for the management of medicines so that people received their medicines safely. Arrangements were in place for recording the administration of medicines however, some further improvements were needed in the guidance and records for topical medicines. We have made a recommendation about this.

Risks to people arising from their health and support needs or the premises were assessed, and in most instances plans were in place to minimise them. These were regularly reviewed to ensure they met people’s current needs. However, we found that risk assessments were not in place in every instance and the registered manager told us this would be addressed. A number of checks were carried out around the service to ensure that the premises and equipment were safe to use.

During our inspection we observed there to be enough staff to meet people's needs. However, we received mixed feedback from people who used the service and staff who stated sometimes there were insufficient staff, particularly on a night. We discussed this with the registered manager who told us they were looking into it. Robust recruitment and selection procedures were in place and appropriate checks had been undertaken before staff began working at The Maple Residential Care Home. Staff were given effective supervision and a yearly appraisal.

Staff understood safeguarding issues, and felt confident to raise any concerns they had in order to keep people safe.

Staff received training to ensure that they could appropriately support people, and the service used the Care Certificate as the framework for its training. Staff had received training in the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005 and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) and understood the requirements of the Act. This meant they were working within the law to support people who may have lacked capacity to make their own decisions. The registered manager understood their responsibilities in relation to DoLS.

People were supported to maintain a healthy diet, and people’s dietary needs and preferences were catered for. However, one person who was a vegetarian had not been appropriately catered for. The registered manager was taking action to address this. People told us they had a choice of food at the service, which they enjoyed. We saw no evidence of menus on the tables or pictorial menus, which would aid a person who may be living with dementia or have a memory impairment to make every day choices.

The registered manager worked with external professionals to support and maintain people’