This inspection took place on the 23 May 2017 and was unannounced. At our previous inspection in August 2014, we found that the provider was compliant with the regulations we checked.

Peel way is registered to accommodate six people with multiple learning and physical disabilities. People are accommodated in a purpose built house.

The provider of the service is an organisation called The Avenues Group. The home had a registered manager in post. 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 were safe at the service and were cared for by staff who were knowledgeable about safeguarding people. They knew how to report concerns. Medicines at the home were managed safely by staff who were trained and assessed as competent.

Care plans we looked at included specific risk assessments which identified risks associated with people’s care and guided staff about how to minimise risks in order to keep people safe.

Staff were supported through regular supervision and received an annual appraisal of their practice and performance.

There were sufficient qualified and experienced staff. Staff received the support and training they needed to provide an effective service that met people’s needs. The staffing levels were flexible to support with planned activities and appointments.

The recruitment process was robust to make sure that the right staff were recruited to keep people safe. Staff confirmed and personnel records showed that appropriate checks were carried out before they began working at the service.

Staff had received Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) training and understood the systems in place to protect people who could not make independent decisions. The service followed the legal requirements outlined in the MCA and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS).

People were supported to have a nutritionally balanced diet and had adequate fluids throughout the day to promote their health and wellbeing.

People were supported to see specialist healthcare professionals according to their needs in order to ensure their health and well being were adequately maintained.

People were looked after by staff who understood their needs, were caring, compassionate and promoted their privacy and dignity.

Care plans reflected people’s specific, individual needs and wishes and were regularly reviewed and updated according to people’s changing needs.

A pictorial complaints procedure was available. People’s relatives were made aware of the complaints procedure and they knew who to speak with if they had any concerns.

Systems were in place to evaluate and monitor the quality of the service and there was continued monitoring of the progress made where actions were identified.

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014. 

This was an unannounced inspection.  At our previous inspection 13 September 2013, we found the provider was meeting regulations in relation to outcomes we inspected.

Six Peel Way is a care home that provides care and support for up to six adults with learning disabilities. There was a registered manager in place.  A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service and has the legal responsibility for meeting the requirements of the law; as does the provider. At the time of the inspection the home was providing care and support to six people.

The relatives of the people using the service said their relatives were safe and that staff treated them well. Safeguarding adults from abuse procedures were robust and staff understood how to safeguard the people they supported. Managers and staff had received training on safeguarding adults, the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards and the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

We found that people's relatives, their care managers and appropriate healthcare professionals had been fully involved in the care planning process. Where a concern regarding a person’s ability to make decisions about their care was identified the manager worked with the local authority to ensure appropriate capacity assessments were undertaken. We found there were procedures and risk assessments in place that reduced the risk of harm and abuse to people and kept them safe. There was effective contact with healthcare professionals. People were registered with a local GP Practice and they had access a range of health care professionals such as dentists, dieticians, opticians, district nurses and chiropodists when required.  

Most of the staff had worked at 6 Peel Way for many years and they knew people using the service very well. This offered people continuous and consistent support with their care needs. Staff had completed training relevant to the needs of the people they supported. There was an out of hours on call system in operation that ensured management support and advice was always available when staff needed it.

A person using the service said they would tell staff if they were not happy or if they were upset and staff would help them. Relatives told us they knew how to make a complaint if they needed to. They were confident that the manager would listen to their complaints and they would be fully investigated and action taken if necessary.

The local Healthwatch told us they had recently carried out a visit to the home. They said they found the home to be warm and welcoming and there was a very pleasant atmosphere.

We interacted with people who used the service and spoke with people’s relatives. We were told that 6 Peel Way provided a good service and that people were happy living there. One relative told us “my son is very happy there as always. Things are very good”. We were also told “they provide very good care”.

We observed the staff treating people with kindness and patience in their interactions. We found that people were being treated according to their individually assessed need. We also found that the premises had been well maintained. Staff received supervision and professional development and records were kept securely and were up to date.