The inspection took place on the 20 June 2017 and was unannounced.

Woodlands Nursing Home provides personal care, accommodation and nursing care for up to 28 people. On the day of our inspection there were 23 older people at the service, some of whom were living with dementia and varied health conditions. The service is spread over three floors with a passenger lift, communal lounge and dining room.

The home had 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.

The service was very caring. Without exception, people and their relatives told us the staff were extremely caring, compassionate, attentive and dedicated in their approach. They commended the exceptional quality of the care they received. Comments from people and relatives included “When I came here to visit staff were just wonderful. So calm and reassuring it was just what I needed. It was just a good feeling I got from them and then everyone else has followed on from there” and “Not only have they cared for my relative so wonderfully they have given me so much support”.

Staff developed positive caring and compassionate relationships with people, exceeding their expectations. The ethos of the home was that of an extended family. Staff knew each person as an individual and what mattered to them, they treated people with the utmost dignity and respect. One member of staff said “We are a family, that's why I love working here and putting smiles on people's faces”.

People receiving end of life care were treated with exceptional care and compassion. The service had strong links with a local hospice and a local Palliative Care Coordinator, who provided training recommendations and support for staff to provide high quality care for people nearing the end of their lives. A health professional told us “I have great faith in the clinical opinions of the nursing staff they provide excellent care and following advance care plans and contingency plans. They are rightly proud of the fact that almost every resident who dies does so in the home rather than in hospital”.

People, relatives and health professionals consistently told us how the service was exceptionally personalised to meet people's individual needs. Staff spoke with pride and passion about the way people were cared for. Management and staff continuously looked for ways to improve people’s care so they received positive experiences and led fulfilling lives at the service. One person told us “The staff are amazing, just amazing. They cannot do enough for you and help me so much. The nurse is a godsend and meets my needs for sure”.

The service found innovative and creative ways to enable people to live life to the full and continued to do things they enjoyed. The service was currently a pilot site for a United States based charity ‘Music & Memory’. Music & Memory brings personalised music into the lives of older people and people living with dementia through digital music technology. One person told us “I love listening to the old tunes, it really is lovely. I remember them well”. The provider was innovative and set about identifying a suitable adult dog from a local dog breeder that could spend a substantial amount of time with the people as the resident PAT (pets as therapy) dog.

Staff held skills and trained to a high standard to care for people. There was a strong emphasis on training and continued development for staff. Staff spoke passionately about people whose lives had improved since they came to live at the service. For example, one person who came to the service to receive end of life care had their life improve over time, with the staff committed to giving exceptional care to the person working clos