We inspected Warwick House on the 13 December 2016. Warwick House is a care home registered to accommodate up to 35 people with mental health issues such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. The service is located in Worthing, West Sussex in a residential area. There were 29 people living at the service on the day of our inspection. Warwick House was last inspected in November 2013 and no concerns were identified.

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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People were happy and relaxed with staff. They said they felt safe and there were sufficient staff to support them. One person told us, “I do feel safe, it is usually quite a calm environment”. Another said, “There is always someone around. Just now I had to get someone to help out with [person using the service] and the staff member was right there”. When staff were recruited, their employment history was checked and references obtained. Checks were also undertaken to ensure new staff were safe to work within the care sector. Staff were knowledgeable and trained in safeguarding adults and what action they should take if they suspected abuse was taking place.

Medicines were managed safely and in accordance with current regulations and guidance. There were systems in place to ensure that medicines had been stored, administered, audited and reviewed appropriately.

People were being supported to make decisions in their best interests. The registered manager and staff had received training in the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS).

Accidents and incidents were recorded appropriately and steps taken to minimise the risk of similar events happening in the future. Risks associated with the environment and equipment had been identified and managed. Emergency procedures were in place in the event of fire and people knew what to do, as did the staff.

Staff had received essential training and there were opportunities for additional training specific to the needs of the service, including managing behaviour that may challenge others, and the use of sharps (sharps is a medical term for devices with sharp points or edges that can puncture or cut skin). Staff had received both one to one and group supervision meetings with their manager, and formal personal development plans, such as annual appraisals were in place. One member of staff told us, “I get supervision, it’s useful. We talk about key working and any issues”. They added, “We get training all the time. I asked [registered manager] for training around mental health and she’s organising it”.

People were encouraged and supported to eat and drink well. There was a varied daily choice of meals and people were able to give feedback and have choice in what they ate and drank. One person told us, “I enjoy the food here, but if I don’t like what’s on the menu, I will ask for a jacket potato”. Special dietary requirements were met, and people’s weight was monitored, with their permission. Health care was accessible for people and appointments were made for regular check-ups as needed.

People chose how to spend their day and they took part in activities in the service and the community. People told us they enjoyed the activities, which included arts and crafts, films, trips to the barbers and local outings and themed events, such as pumpkin carving and a Christmas party. One person told us, “There are things going on like craft and a pumpkin competition and we’ve got a Christmas party coming up”. People were also encouraged to stay in touch with their families and receive visitors.

People felt well looked after and supported. We observed friendly and genuine relationship

In this report the name of a registered manager appears who was not in post and not managing the regulatory activities at this location at the time of the inspection.Their name appears because they were still a Registered Manager on our register at the time.

We spoke to the people who live at Warwick House and the staff who worked there. Seven people spoke to us at length about their experience of life at Warwick House. They told us how the home met their expectations and needs.

People told us that they were happy living at Warwick House and they considered it their home. We observed how people were involved in regular activities and had the freedom to come and go as they pleased. People were involved in meaningful activities and were independent within the home and outside it.

We found evidence of a team of long serving staff who worked well together. We interviewed five staff members about their work in the home and their experiences as employees. Staff told us they were well supported in their role with access to appropriate training and support.

At the last inspection issues had been raised about supporting workers. The provider told us how they would improve. We found these had been implemented.

We spoke with the people who lived at Warwick House and the staff who worked there. Four people spoke with us at length about their life in the home and the activities they participated in. They told us how the home met their needs and expectations.

People told us they were happy and felt safe living at the home. They told us Warwick House was their home and they enjoyed living there. We saw that people had regular opportunities to participate in meaningful activities if they wanted to. People were encouraged to live as independently as possible within the restrictions of their disability.

We found evidence that the service had a stable team of staff who worked well together. We interviewed three staff who were employed to work in the home, including the manager. Staff told us that they felt well supported in their role with access to appropriate training and guidance. However we found gaps in the training records where training could not be verified.