The Shrubbery is a residential care home for 45 people. It is registered to provide accommodation and personal care for people living with dementia, mental health needs, people with a physical disability and older people.

At our last inspection we rated the service good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

A registered manager was 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 registered manager was fully aware of their legal responsibilities and was committed to providing excellent leadership and support to staff.

People living at The Shrubbery felt safe and received care from staff that had been employed following safe recruitment procedures. The provider ensured that lessons were learned when things went wrong to reduce the likelihood of re-occurrence. People received their medicines on time and as prescribed.

People received support from staff that had the skills and knowledge to meet their needs and were supported to eat and drink enough to maintain their health and wellbeing. People were actively involved in decisions about their care and support needs. 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 were happy with the care they received and felt valued by staff and the management team. People’s independence was promoted and their privacy and dignity protected. Visitors were welcomed and told us The Shrubbery was like a family.

People received personalised care that took into account their individual needs, likes, dislikes and preferences. A wide range of activities were available to meet people’s needs. People had personalised their bedrooms with their own belongings and the environment had been adapted to meet the needs of people with dementia.

Quality assurance systems ensured the provider was alerted at the earliest opportunity to any issues that needed resolving. We found there to be an open and inclusive culture within The Shrubbery. The registered manager had an open-door policy and sought feedback from people, their relatives and staff to identify improvements. The provider had committed to making structural changes to the Shrubbery to further enhance the indoor and outdoor space available for people living at the home.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

The Shrubbery provides accommodation and personal care for up to 45 people who may be living with dementia and have frail elderly care needs. At the time of inspection, 39 people were living at the service.

We carried out our unannounced comprehensive inspection on 5 July 2016. Prior to this inspection we had received concerns in relation to the care people were receiving and the management of the service. We therefore needed to ensure that people's care was being delivered in line with the fundamental standards.

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 felt safe. Staff had an understanding of abuse and the safeguarding procedures that should be followed to report abuse.

People had risk assessments in place to enable them to be as independent as they could be.

There were sufficient numbers of staff available to meet people's care and support needs

Effective recruitment processes were in place and followed by the service.

Medicines were stored, handled and administered safely within the service.

Staff members all had induction training when joining the service, as well as regular ongoing training.

Staff were well supported by the manager and had regular one to one time.

People's consent was gained before any care was provided and the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and associated Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards were met.

People were able to choose the food and drink they had and staff were able to support people with this.

People were supported to access health appointments when necessary.

The staff supported people in a caring manner. They knew the people they were supporting well.

Where possible, people were involved in their own care planning and were able to contribute to the way in which they were supported.

People's privacy and dignity was maintained at all times.

People were supported to take part in a range of activities and social interests.

The service had a complaints procedure in place and people knew how to use it.

Quality monitoring systems and processes were used effectively to drive future improvement and identify where action needed to be taken.