Royal Cambridge Home

The provider had submitted plans to redevelop the service. A decision on the planning application had yet to be made at the time of our inspection. Because of the planned redevelopment, the home was not making permanent admissions at the time of our visit.

People's experience of using this service: People received their care from consistent staff who knew their needs, interests and preferences about their support. Staff were kind and caring and treated people with respect. Relatives said the home had a 'family feel' that their family members enjoyed. People and their relatives were involved in planning their care. Staff encouraged people to make choices and respected their decisions.

We found that care records were not always complete or up-to-date. This had not adversely impacted people's care as staff provided the support they needed. However, there was a risk that people could receive inappropriate care as their care plans did not always accurately reflect their needs. We have made a recommendation about this.

People were supported to maintain good health and to obtain medical treatment when they needed it. Staff were observant of any changes in people's health and ensured any concerns were investigated. Managers and staff had established effective working relationships with other professionals to ensure people's needs were met. Staff kept relatives well-informed and up-to-date about their family members' health and well- being.

People had access to a range of activities, events and outings. Staff supported people to remain involved in the community and to use local shops and cafes. People's religious and spiritual needs were known and respected. Relatives were made welcome when they visited and were encouraged to be involved in the life of the home. People enjoyed the food at the home and were consulted about the menu. Any specific dietary needs were recorded and known by catering staff.

The management team provided good support to staff and communicated effectively with people, relatives and professionals. People, families and staff were encouraged to give their views about the home at regular meetings and through surveys. Any suggestions people made were listened to and acted upon. People and relatives knew how to complain and told us they would feel confident in doing so.

Staff received the training they needed for their roles and shared information effectively to ensure people received consistent care. Staff understood their role in safeguarding people and knew how to recognise and respond to abuse. There were enough staff on each shift to meet people's needs, although following an incident that we observed during the inspection, the registered manager agreed to review how staff were

deployed to meet people's needs.

Risks were assessed and managed effectively. Medicines were managed safely. Staff maintained appropriate standards of hygiene and infection control. The provider had a business continuity plan to ensure people would continue to receive their care in the event of an emergency. The provider operated robust recruitment procedures which helped ensure that only suitable staff were employed.

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.

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