Cheswardine Hall Nursing & Residential Home

People's experience of using this service People told us they felt supported and listened to as individuals. However, the formal assessment and planning of people's care in care records lacked detail in some instances with some important care needs omitted and not referenced. We made a recommendation regarding this.

We saw there were systems in place to monitor medication so that people received their medicines safely. All the people we reviewed had received their medications. We found some minor recording anomalies in the medication records and discussed improvements to help ensure continued safe standards.

The registered manager could evidence a series of quality assurance processes and audits carried out internally and externally by staff and visiting professionals. These were overall effective in managing the home and were based on getting feedback from the people living there. These checks and audits were mostly effective in identifying any issues that required further development. The managers of the home were very responsive in responding to feedback we gave.

Arrangements were in place for checking the environment to ensure it was safe. We found the environment safe and well maintained.

There was a positive and relaxed atmosphere in the home which we found to be homily and well run. People living in the home interacted freely and staff were seen to be caring and supportive.

We were given positive feedback from the people we spoke with who were living at Cheswardine Hall. They told us they enjoyed living at the home and their quality of life was good. People said they were well cared for. People were listened to and felt they had the support they needed to express their needs and wishes. People could make decisions and choices. They were treated with respect and kindness.

All the people we spoke with told us they felt safe and well supported. One person said, "I feel very safe because there are always staff that pop in to check on me and see how I am or if I want anything."

The home was staffed appropriately and consistently. Staff could explain each person's care needs and how they communicated these needs. People told us that staff had the skills and approach needed to ensure they were receiving the right care.

The staff we spoke with described how they would recognise abuse and the action they would take to ensure actual or potential harm was reported.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. We discussed how best interest decisions, in some instances, could be better referenced.

We saw people's dietary needs were managed with reference to individual needs and choice. Meal times provided a good social occasion.