The Old Vicarage is a care home for older people who require nursing and personal care. The accommodation is spread over two floors with the main communal areas on the ground floor. The home provides care for up to 38 people, at the time of our inspection there were 30 people living in the home.

At the last inspection in July 2015, the service was rated Good. At this inspection we found that 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.

People were supported by sufficient numbers of staff in the home that had received the training and support that they required to provide effective care to people. Staff had been subject to appropriate recruitment procedures to ensure that they were of good character. People were protected from the risk of harm because staff were confident in recognising and reporting concerns to maintain people’s safety.

People received personalised care and support and had detailed plans of care in place to guide staff in providing their care. People’s needs were monitored closely and their plans of care reviewed to ensure they received appropriate care and support.

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 support this practice.

People were supported to access healthcare professionals and to maintain good health and well-being. Staff were vigilant of people’s health. People were supported to have sufficient amounts to eat and drink to help maintain their health and well-being.

Staff took time to get to know people and ensured that people’s care was tailored to their individual needs. People had the information they needed to make a complaint and the service had processes in place to respond to any complaints.

People were supported by a team of staff that had the managerial guidance and support they needed to carry out their roles effectively. The quality of the service was monitored by the audits regularly carried out by the registered manager and by the provider.

This unannounced inspection took place on the 27 July 2015.

The Old Vicarage accommodates and provides care for up to 38 older people, the majority of whom have nursing care needs. There were 32 people in residence during this inspection.

A registered manager was not in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) 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 cared for by sufficient numbers of staff were experienced and trained to meet their needs. Recruitment procedures were robust and protected people from receiving care from staff unsuited to the job.

People received individualised care that suited their needs. The staff team understood and acted upon their individual responsibilities and knew what was expected of them when caring for older people. Staff were attentive and compassionate.

People’s care needs had been assessed prior to admission and thereafter their care plans were regularly reviewed. Care plans were individualised to reflect their current needs so that staff had the necessary information and guidance to meet these needs. People benefited from receiving care from staff that listened to and acted upon what they said, including the views of their relatives, friends, or significant others.

People’s health and wellbeing needs were met by staff that were supported by community based healthcare professionals as and when required. The advice of healthcare professionals was acted upon by staff and people’s prescribed treatments were provided in a timely way.

People’s medicines were appropriately and safely managed. Medicines were securely stored and there were suitable arrangements in place for their timely administration.

People had enough to eat and drink, and the choice of foods available took into account people’s tastes, preferences and cultural backgrounds. People’s individual nutritional needs were assessed, monitored and met. People who needed support with eating and drinking received the help they required. They enjoyed a varied and balanced diet to meet their nutritional needs.

People were assured that if they, or their representatives, were dissatisfied with the quality of the service they would be listened to and that appropriate remedial action would be taken to try to resolve matters to their satisfaction. People knew how and who to complain to.

People’s service was effectively quality assured by the audits regularly conducted by the provider.

As part of our inspection we looked at how people were involved in decisions about their care and welfare at the home and how other health and care professionals were consulted. We looked at care plans of the people who lived in the home and talked to people. We found that people were very happy with how they were treated and that they felt welcome and happy in the home.

One person told us, “This is a wonderful place.”

We also looked at how the physical surroundings within the home and found that the environment was welcoming and safe.

Finally, we looked at how comments and complaints were managed and how the home dealt with information and records of the staff and people who lived at the home. We found an open approach with good communication in place between the staff and the people who lived in the home and family members. One person told us, “The manager ‘phoned me with updates and listened to my views about X.”

We saw that records were well managed, with sensitive personal information stored securely with and appropriate measures in place.

We spoke with four people about the service they received. They confirmed that staff were always very friendly, and they had no concerns about the care staff provided.

We also spoke with one relative, and two friends of people living in the home. All said that staff were friendly and welcoming. The relative said that the care that her mother was supplied with was very good. The attitude of staff members was always positive and that staff would always help in any way they could.

We spoke with seven people who lived in the service. We also spoke with one relative about their views of the care provided.

The people we spoke with were all very satisfied with staff and the care they received. Staff were seen to be friendly and caring. One person said: ‘’Staff are nice. They treat you well‘’. Another person said: ‘’If I have asked for something, staff will try their best to get it for you‘’.

The relative we spoke with was also very satisfied with the service: '’There are no complaints. I am kept informed of things. The manager and staff are very good’’. She said she was always welcomed into the home by the staff when she visited.