Turn Furlong Specialist Care Centre provides short stay, respite, rehabilitation, nursing and residential care for up to 51 older people, including people living with dementia. On the day of the inspection there were 35 people using the service.

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

The service is required to have a registered manager. 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. A registered manager was in post at the time of the inspection, however they

were on a secondment and not available during the inspection. In the absence of the registered manager the deputy manager had taken on the role of manager supported by a deputy manager and the operations manager who visited the service during the inspection.

People received care from staff that were kind, compassionate and encouraged them to maintain their independence. Staff were respectful of people’s dignity and demonstrated an understanding of each person’s needs. This was evident in the way staff spoke to people and the activities they engaged in with individuals. People were treated as individuals and their privacy and dignity was protected.

Care plans detailed people’s needs, their likes and dislikes and preferences. The information gathered ensured that people were cared for safely. Staff understood their role and responsibility to keep people safe from harm.

There were sufficient staff to meet the needs of the people staying at the Centre; staffing levels were kept under review. There were appropriate recruitment processes in place which protected people from being cared for by unsuitable staff and people felt safe in the Centre.

Staff were supported through regular supervision and undertook training which helped them to understand the needs of the people they were supporting.

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 involved in decisions about the way in which their care and support was provided.

People’s health care and nutritional needs were carefully considered and relevant health care professionals were appropriately involved in people’s care. Families and friends were welcome at any time.

There were effective quality assurance systems and audits in place; action was taken to address any shortfalls. Management was visible and open to feedback, actively looking at ways to improve the service.

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and to pilot a new inspection process being introduced by CQC which looks at the overall quality of the service.

The inspection took place on 6 August 2014 and was unannounced, this meant the provider did not know we were going to inspect. The last inspection took place on 10 May 2013 during which we found they were not meeting all of the legal requirements and regulations. Following the inspection the provider sent us an action plan, which told us the improvements they planned to make. During this inspection we found that sufficient improvements had been made and the provider had met the requirements and regulations.

Turn Furlong Specialist Care Centre provides short stay, respite, rehabilitation, nursing and residential care for up to 51 older people, including people living with dementia. On the day of the inspection there were 42 people using the service.

The service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service and has the legal responsibility for meeting the requirements of the law; as does the provider. A registered manager was in post at the time of the inspection, however they were on annual leave and not available during the inspection. In the absence of the registered manager the deputy manager was responsible for the management of the service supported by the area manager who visited the service during the inspection.

People were safe at Turn Furlong Specialist Care Centre and staff knew what to do if they had any concerns about their welfare. Staff had received training on safeguarding adults, the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). They knew how to manage risks to promote people’s safety, balanced with people’s rights to take risks.

People were supported by appropriately recruited and trained staff that had the skills needed to carry out their duties. The staff knew the needs of the people they supported. They worked in a way so as to promote people’s independence. People had access to health and social care professionals as and when they needed and prompt action was taken in response to illness or changes in people’s physical and mental health.

People told us that they were pleased and happy with the care and support they received at the service. They told us their likes, dislikes and preferences were central to how their care was provided and that the staff respected their choices about all aspects of their lives.

The registered manager, area manager and designated staff consistently monitored and reviewed the quality of care people received at the service. Management audits were carried out on all aspects of the service, such as people’s care records, staff recruitment records, the building upkeep and the safety of equipment.

The service encouraged feedback from people using the service and their representatives, to identify, plan and make improvements to the service.

We spoke with six people who used the service they all confirmed they were happy with their care and treatment, they commented that the staff respected their wishes and were always polite. We also spoke with two visitors who told us they were very pleased with the care their relative received, they told us the staff always made them feel welcome and where very approachable.

We spoke with the nursing and care staff who were fully aware of the individual care and treatment needs of people using the service. We saw that people had their needs assessed and based upon the assessments a care plan was put in place to instruct the staff on how people were to be supported. However we found some discrepancies in record keeping. For example, we found assessment forms were not always fully completed and the care plans for people on respite care did not always clearly identify each time a person had been admitted and discharged or whether people’s needs were re assessed upon each admission.

Throughout Turn Furlong Specialist Centre we observed that staff conducted themselves professionally, we heard them speak respectfully to people, respect peoples privacy and they worked at a relaxed pace giving people time to make decisions.

We spoke with six people using the service; they all gave positive comments about the service. People commented that the food was good and the staff treated them nicely and listened to what they had to say.

We observed the staff treat people with dignity and give people the time to make their own decisions and their choice was respected.

One person told us they always looked forward to staying at Turn Furlong Specialist Centre for their respite care. People receiving rehabilitation support said they were impressed with the facilities available at the centre.

All of the people we spoke with said they felt safe staying at Turn Furlong Specialist Centre.

People who we spoke to were complimentary of the care received at Turn Furlong. One person spoke very fondly of one particularly member of staff who they said ‘helped cheer them up’.

People confirmed that they had access to other healthcare professionals, this included people being informed on dates to attend out patient appointments for healthcare screening to be carried out.

We observed staff interactions between people using the service. The staff were polite and tactful with people whilst carrying out their duties.