Mayflower House

People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

A registered manager was employed to manage the service. 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. They were supported in this role by a team leader known as 'matron'.

At our last inspection we rated the service good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection. . Why the service is rated Good.

People felt safe at the home and with the staff who supported them. People were supported by staff who were kind and caring. Where people found it difficult to express themselves, staff showed patience and understanding. A relative told us, "The home presents an excellent, welcoming atmosphere, always calm and relaxed - the residents seem content, rarely displaying any anxiety" and another said, "Staff treat people very kindly at all times. They can always be heard addressing people in a nice way and with a good attitude."

There were systems and processes in place to minimise risks to people. These included a robust recruitment process and making sure staff knew how to recognise and report abuse. There were adequate numbers of staff available to meet people's needs in a timely manner.

People received effective care from staff who had the skills and knowledge to meet their needs. Staff monitored people's health and well-being and made sure they had access to other healthcare professionals according to their individual needs. People's medicines were safely administered and managed.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

The service was responsive to people's needs and they were able to make choices about their day to day

routines. People had access to a range of organised and informal activities which provided them with mental and social stimulation.

People could be confident that at the end of their lives they would be cared for with kindness and compassion and their comfort would be maintained.

People said they would be comfortable to make a complaint and were confident action would be taken to address their concerns. The registered manager and provider treated complaints as an opportunity to learn and improve.

The home was well led by an experienced registered manager and management team. The provider had systems in place to monitor the quality of the service, seek people's views and make on-going improvements. A relative said, "We feel the service delivers the best quality of care."

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

The five questions we ask about services and what we found