We inspected 4 Hermitage Lane on 13 December 2017. 4 Hermitage Lane is registered to provide accommodation to six people with learning disabilities who require support with personal care. The home is situated in Swindon.

There was a registered manager in post at 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.

At the last inspection, the service was rated Good. At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

People told us and their relatives confirmed they continued to feel safe and well cared for at the service. Risks relating to people's care and support had been assessed and were minimised as far as possible. Detailed emotional and behaviour support plans were in place for people whose actions were assessed as posing potential risk to themselves and others. Staff knew how to recognise and report any concerns about people's care and welfare and how to protect people from abuse.

There were enough staff to support people and the provider followed safe recruitment practice to employ suitable staff. People received effective care and support as staff received ongoing training to keep their knowledge and skills up to date. People continued to live in a home that was kept clean and well-maintained. Regular checks were carried out on the environment and equipment to ensure it was safe and fit for use. Medicines were safely stored and administered in accordance with best practice. Staff were trained in medicines administration.

Staff received appropriate support to carry out their roles on a day-to-day basis through structured supervisions and appraisals. Staff were well-trained and the service aimed to facilitate their further professional development. People’s dietary needs were recognized and met. People told us they enjoyed a balanced and healthy diet of their own choice. The service worked well in cooperation with other professionals to ensure people’s needs were met safely.

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 of the service supported this practice. People were encouraged to be independent and staff respected their privacy and dignity. Staff understood the different ways people communicated and used different communication methods in order to involve people in their care.

People enjoyed varied social and leisure opportunities that interested them. Staff worked flexibly to support people with their preferred interests, activities and hobbies. People and relatives were encouraged to share their views and opinions on the service. Arrangements to deal with complaints were in place should such a need arise.

The leadership within the service was described as very good by staff and relatives. There were effective systems in place to monitor the quality and safety of the service. There was a clear vision of the service and an open culture where people could freely share their views on the service and were listened to.

We inspected 4 Hermitage Lane on the 22 January 2016. 4 Hermitage Lane is registered to provide accommodation for six people with learning disabilities who require support with personal care. The home is situated in Swindon.

There was a registered manager in post at 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.

People’s needs were assessed and clear guidance was in place for staff to mitigate those risks. There was a good understanding of safeguarding within the service. Staff were aware what constitutes abuse and what action to take if abuse was suspected. There were enough suitably qualified staff deployed to meet people’s needs.

Staff received appropriate support to carry out their roles on a day to day basis through structured supervisions and appraisals. Staff were well trained and had access to further professional development. People’s dietary needs were understood and they told us they enjoyed a balanced and healthy diet of their own choosing. The service worked well with other professionals to ensure people’s needs were met safely.

Peoples medicines were stored and managed safely and people received their medicines when they were supposed to. When specific arrangements were in place for as required medicines staff understood and followed those guidelines.

Staff were described as caring and this matched our own observations. People clearly appreciated their relationship with staff and we observed many trusting and warm interactions between people and the staff that were assisting them. People’s privacy and dignity were respected.

People benefitted from a person centred culture where their needs and wishes were documented. People also had the opportunity to develop goals and were supported by a staff team who understood those goals and helped people to achieve them. Feedback was important to the service to ensure continuous improvement.

The leadership within the service was described as very good by staff and relatives we spoke with. There were effective systems in place to monitor the quality and safety of the service. There was a clear vision within the service and an open culture for people to raise their views if they felt they needed to.

The people living at the home had complex needs and were not able to tell us how they felt about using the service. We saw that the interaction between the staff and people living at the home was friendly, supportive and geared to each person as an individual.

We were told that the manager had left the service in January 2014. A manager from another service in the group had been asked to oversee the home and support the deputy and staff until a new manager was appointed. The manager had worked at the home before and knew the staff and people well. Interviews for the manager post were scheduled for early March.

Staff described the home as, "the home is warm and welcoming, there's no tension now, the people we care for are lovely".

We spoke with three people who lived in the home. One person told us that they'd been out shopping and to a cafe for a drink and a sandwich. They also said they had been to the dentist that morning for a check up. Another person told us that they had been on holiday to Blackpool and to Butlins. They showed us photographs of their holiday and their family.

We found that people's needs were assessed and they had appropriate plans to make sure that their needs were met and they were kept safe. People's medication was managed properly. There was sufficient staff working in the home to meet people's needs. There was a process to support people to make complaints and raise concerns and these were taken seriously and investigated.

Due to their learning disability and complex communication needs, not all people living at 4 Hermitage Lane were able to tell us about the service they received. However, we saw that people were clean and well presented.

We observed staff interactions with people and noted that those, who were less able to share their views, looked relaxed and comfortable in the company of the staff. People could choose where they wished to spend their time within the home.

We saw people making choices and being involved in everyday tasks such as preparing drinks and snacks. The layout of the kitchen, allowed for people sitting in the lounge area to still chat to staff in the kitchen. We saw that one person liked to tidy up after people. Another person liked to spend time in the conservatory.

In the dining room there was a notice board which had pictorial information about what food was available on that day and also a pictorial activity board showing what was happening that day. These boards were up to date and the information was correct.