This inspection took place on 13 and 15 June 2017 and was announced to ensure someone would be present at the service to provide us with any information we needed to support the inspection process.

This was the first inspection since the service was registered with the Care Quality Commission in June 2015. Affinity Trust is a national charity providing support for people with learning disabilities, autistic spectrum conditions, physical disabilities and other associated needs. 29 people used the service at the time of our inspection. People either lived on their own or with other people.

The registered manager of the service had recently left their employment with Affinity Trust, but at the time of this inspection was still registered with the Care Quality Commission. 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. The service had a recently recruited a new operations manager who had applied to become the new registered manager of the service.

Procedures were in place to minimise the risk of harm to people. Support workers were trained and were aware of how to report any issues of concern regarding people’s safety and welfare. People received their medicines safely and as prescribed by their doctor. Staff were recruited following a safe and robust process to make sure only suitable people were employed to work with vulnerable people.

Risk assessments had been developed in line with each part of the person’s support plan. These risk assessments gave support workers clear directions in what action to take in order to minimise any risk identified, especially when supporting a person to maintain their safety, and that of others, when out in the community.

People’s health needs were closely monitored and each person had a health action plan document in place.

Staffing levels were planned to incorporate supporting people to participate in their chosen activities, either in-house or in the local community.

People using the service had been provided with a complaints procedure which was also in a format suitable to support people with a learning disability to understand how the complaints procedure/process worked.