The Mayfields Care Home

Staff received the training they needed to meet people's needs safely and effectively. People's nutritional and health needs were consistently met with involvement from a variety of health and social care professionals. People told us they enjoyed their food and had enough to eat and drink. The home was well maintained and free from hazards. 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; however, the policies and recording systems in the service did not always support this practice.

All the people we spoke with were complimentary about the kindness of staff. We observed compassionate care which demonstrated staff had an understanding of people's needs and preferences. People's privacy and independence were promoted. People were included in planning their care and individual objectives.

Staff delivered care in a person-centred way based on people's preferences and wishes, which were clearly documented. There was a wide range of activities available and significant effort was made to engage people living with dementia. Support was available to ensure people remained in touch with their families and the wider community. The manager was responsive to any complaints or concerns although people told us they rarely needed to complain. We received positive feedback regarding end of life care provided.

The management team were approachable, responsive and supportive of staff and people living in the service. People and staff were regularly consulted on the standard of care and support provided and there was positive feedback on the atmosphere and culture in the home. However, some areas of governance required improvement, including management of audits and some assessment tools such as mental capacity assessments and advanced care planning. Incidents and accidents were appropriately managed and investigated but lesson learnt and audits of risks were not always sufficiently robust to optimise risk management. Whilst these were not found to have significantly impacted on people's care, it increased the risk of poor practice. We have made a recommendation to review the risk monitoring systems and relevant assessment proformas.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk