Credenhill Court Rest Home

Credenhill Court Rest Home is a 'care home'. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection. The home is registered to provide accommodation with personal care for up to 35 older people, some of whom are living with dementia. The accommodation is split across three floors within one large adapted building. At the time of our inspection, there were 30 people living at the home.

There was a registered manager in post who was present during our inspection. 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.

At our previous inspection in November 2017, we rated the service as 'Requires Improvement' and identified two breaches of the Regulations. These related to the need for consent and good governance of the service. At this inspection, we found the provider had made a number of improvements and was now meeting the Regulations. However, further improvements were needed in relation to the management of people's medicines. These included the need for a clearer system for recording the application of people's topical medicines.

People felt safe living at the home. Staff had received training in, and recognised, their individual responsibilities to protect people from any form of harm, abuse or discrimination. The risks to individuals had been assessed, recorded and kept under review. The provider maintained safe staffing levels at the home, to ensure people's needs could be met safely. They completed pre-employment checks on prospective staff to ensure they were safe to work with people. Measures were in place to protect people, staff and visitors from the risk of infections.

Before people moved into the home, the management team carried out a formal assessment of their individual needs and requirements to ensure these could be effectively met. Staff and management understood the need to avoid any form of discrimination when planning or delivering people's care. Staff received induction, training and ongoing support to help them fulfil their duties and responsibilities. They helped people to choose what they ate and drank on a day-to-day basis, and promoted a positive mealtime experience for people. Staff played a positive role in monitoring people's general health and helping them to access healthcare services. The provider had taken steps to adapt the home's environment to meet people's needs. Staff and management understood and promoted people's rights under the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

Staff treated people with kindness and compassion, and had taken the time to get to know people well as individuals. People were supported to express their views about the service. Staff understood and promoted people's rights to privacy and dignity, and helped them to maintain their independence.

The care and support provided was tailored to people's individual needs and requirements. People's care plans were personalised and read by staff. The management team had assessed and addressed people's communication and information needs. People had support to pursue their interests and participate in a variety of stimulating and enjoyable activities. People and their relatives knew how to raise any concerns or complaints about the service, and felt comfortable doing so. People's preferences and choices for their end- of-life care were discussed with them and, where appropriate, their relatives, in order to meet these.

The provider carried out audits and checks to monitor the safety and quality of the service provided. The registered manager had a good understanding of the requirements associated with their registration with CQC, and spoke with commitment about people's care and quality of life. People, their relatives and community professional described positive relationships and open communication with the management team. Staff told us they had the management support and direction they needed to succeed in their roles. The management team took steps to maintain and develop links with the local community to benefit the people who lived at the home.

The five questions we ask about services and what we found