People told us what it was like to live at this home and described how they were treated by staff and their involvement in making choices about their care. They also told us about the quality and choice of food and drink available. This was because this inspection was part of a themed inspection programme to assess whether older people living in care homes are treated with dignity and respect and whether their nutritional needs are met. The inspection team was led by a CQC inspector joined by an Expert by Experience, who have experience of using services or caring for someone who uses this type of service, and a practising professional.
We used the short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI). SOFI is a specific way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk to us.
The five people spoken to said they were able to make decisions about their care and treatment. One person told us, "staff always ask me how I want things to be done'. People told us that they liked their meals. A person said, 'all the food is great'. We asked people about the variety of food, a person said, 'there is always a choice at meal times." People were provided with a choice of suitable and nutritious food and drink. We observed that at lunchtime enough staff were available to help people to eat and drink. We observed staff knew how to meet the needs of people and understood the nutritional needs of people who use the service.
People knew they could raise their concerns with staff, and that these would be addressed. A person said, "if I am worried I can talk it over with the staff". People's personal records including their care plans were accurate, and were kept securely.