Merryfield House Nursing Home

At the last inspection, the service had been rated Good.

At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

Why the service is rated good:

People remained safe living in the home. There was a sufficient number of staff to meet people's needs and staff were recruited safely. Risk assessments were carried out and promoted positive risk taking which enable people to live their lives as they chose. People received their medicines as prescribed.

People continued to receive effective care from staff who had the skills and knowledge to support them and meet their needs. People were supported to have choice and control of their lives. Staff provided people with support in the least restrictive way possible and the procedures in the service supported this practice. People could access health professionals when needed. Staff worked closely with people's GPs and other professionals to ensure people's health and well-being were monitored.

The service continued to provide support in a caring way. Staff members supported people with kindness and compassion. Staff respected people as individuals and treated them with dignity. People and, where appropriate, their relatives were involved in making decisions about people's care needs and the support people required to have their needs met.

The responsiveness of the service was outstanding. Regular monitoring and reviews helped to ensure referrals were made to appropriate health and social care professionals and, where necessary, care and support were changed and implemented to accurately reflect people's needs. Care planning was fixed upon having the individual at the heart of their support. The service identified how people wished to be supported so they received meaningful and personalised care. Activities were plentiful and meaningful, enabling people to live as full a life as possible. A range of group and one-to-one activities were available for those who liked to participate. People and relatives appreciated the activities co-ordinator. Staff had maximised stimulation for people who lived with dementia to give positive meaning to their lives.

The service was led by a registered manager who promoted a service that put people at the forefront of all the service did. There was a positive culture that valued people, relatives and staff, and promoted a caring ethos.

The five questions we ask about services and what we found