We carried out this unannounced inspection of Woodland Court Residential Home on 20 May 2017. Woodland Court is a care home that provides residential care for up to 30 people some of whom were living with dementia. On the day of the inspection there were 27 people using the service. This was the first inspection of the service since being registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in 2016.

The service had 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.

On the day of the inspection visit there was a calm and relaxed atmosphere in the service. We observed people had a good relationship with staff and staff interacted with people in a caring and respectful manner. People told us, “I’ve lived here for a while now and I couldn’t ask for more polite, patient and kind staff” and “I choose to stay here in my room but they (staff) are always popping in to make sure I’m OK.”

People and relatives told us they thought Woodland Court was a safe place to live and that staff were kind, friendly and treated people well. They told us that the registered manager was always available and approachable. Comments included, “I have every confidence in the manager. I feel I can speak with (the manager) at any time and they listen to what I say” and “When I leave here I know (Person) is safe and well cared for. It gives me piece of mind.”

People and visitors described the management of the service as open and approachable and generally thought people received a good service. Relatives told us, “We chose this home because it just felt so homely and welcoming” and “It ticks all the boxes for us.”

People told us they were happy with the care they received and believed it was a safe environment. There was a relaxed and friendly atmosphere and we observed people sitting in small groups chatting together and laughing and singing with staff. Some people were unable to tell us verbally about their experiences and we observed they were at ease with staff. Staff sat with people when they had the time and spoke with them in a kind and respectful way.

There were sufficient numbers of suitably qualified staff on duty to meet people’s needs in a timely manner. Staff completed a thorough recruitment process to ensure they had the appropriate skills and knowledge for their role. Staff had received safeguarding training and knew how to recognise and report the signs of abuse. They were confident any concerns would be dealt with. The registered manager had taken action to ensure staff had access to contact information for the local authorities safeguarding team.

The registered manager used effective and systems to record and report on, accidents and incidents and take action when required. There was a medical emergency during the inspection and the registered manager and staff managed to situation in a calm and professional manner.

Staff were supported by a system of induction, training, supervision and appraisals. Staff received training relevant for their role and there were good opportunities for on-going training support and development. More specialised training specific to the needs of people using the service was being provided. For example, dementia care and clinical nutrition support.

The service had safe arrangements for the management, storage and administration of medicines. It was clear from the medicine records that people received their medicines as prescribed.

There were safe recruitment procedures to show staff were suitable and safe to work in a care environment, including Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks. The recruitment process identified applicants had the appropriate skills and knowledge needed to prov