Breakaway provides accommodation and support for up to four people with learning disabilities. The service provides short term respite care for people throughout the year that can be booked as individual days or blocks of time up to four weeks. There were two people living at the service at the time of our inspection and one person attending for day support.

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

The service had a registered manager. 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 was safe. Care and treatment was planned and delivered in a way that was intended to ensure people's safety and welfare. There were systems in place to minimise the risk of infection. People were cared for safely by staff who had been recruited and employed after appropriate checks had been completed. People’s needs were met by sufficient numbers of staff. Medication was dispensed by staff who had received training to do so.

The service was effective. People were cared for and supported by staff who had received training to support people to meet their needs. The registered manager had a good understanding of their responsibilities in relation to the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff support them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service support this practice. People were supported to eat and drink enough as to ensure they maintained a balanced diet and referrals to other health professionals were made when required.

The service was caring. Staff cared for people in an empathetic and kind manner. Staff had a good understanding of people’s preferences of care. Staff always worked hard to promote people’s independence through encouraging and supporting people to make informed choices.

The service was responsive. People and their relatives were involved in the planning and review of their care. Care plans were reviewed on a regular basis and before each period of respite. People were supported to follow their interests and participate in social activities. The registered manager responded to complaints received in a timely manner.

The service was well-led. The service had systems in place to monitor and provide good care and these were reviewed on a regular basis.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

The people that stay at Breakaway are referred to as guests. Each guest had their own bedroom and shared communal areas with a garden at the rear of the property.

The guest’s who were staying at the time of our visit indicated to us that they were happy and they took part in various outings and activities.

We spoke to relatives of three people who used this service one told us ‘’It has been a life saver for us’’ another said the ‘’Staff are lovely’’. They all said they found the staff to be caring and they were kept informed of any changes and could visit whenever they wished.

Throughout our visit we observed staff interacting with the guests in a kind and supportive manner. We reviewed each care plan and found them to be individualised and person centred. These care plans were developed with the person and their families or carers.

Medicines are administered within the home. Some guests have been supported in administering their own medication. The home has links with the local pharmacy if advice is needed.

We found care staff have had training in caring for people with disabilities. Staff subscribe to continued educational opportunities in order that the care remains safe, supportive and effective.

The home maintains detailed records for each guest throughout their stay. The records are stored safely and securely and are disposed of in accordance with the homes record keeping policy.

At the time of our inspection in October 2012 there were no guests staying at Breakaway. The records showed that all of the people that had stayed at Breakaway in recent months had a degree of communication difficulties and were not able to communicate with us over the telephone. Because of this we later spoke with some of their relatives over the telephone to gain their views on the service. They all told us that they were happy with the care their relative had received.

All of the relatives that we spoke with told us that the care and support plans were excellent. One person said “The support plan was built around my family members needs and it is reviewed at each and every break.” Another person said, “Breakaway provides us with a much needed service and the quality is excellent.” Relatives spoken with said that they felt that their family members were safe whilst staying at Breakaway. They told us that the staff were very supportive and communicated well. We found that staff had been trained and had received regular updates in their training. Staff told us that they felt well supported to do their work. People had expressed their views and were involved in making decisions about their care and treatment.

The Inspection took place on the 06 November 2015.

Breakaway provides accommodation and personal care without nursing for up to four people who have a physical disability or learning disability. The service offers short breaks and respite care. There were two people using the service on the day of our inspection.

The service did have a registered manager. 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.

Care and treatment was planned and delivered in a way that was intended to ensure people's safety and welfare. People were cared for safely by staff who had been recruited and employed after appropriate checks had been completed. People’s needs were met by sufficient numbers of staff. Medication was dispensed by staff who had received training to do so.

People were safeguarded from the potential of harm and their freedoms were protected. Staff were provided with training in Safeguarding Adults from abuse, Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS).

People had sufficient amounts to eat and drink to ensure that their dietary and nutritional needs were met. The service worked well with other professionals to ensure that people's health needs were met. People's care records showed that, where appropriate, support and guidance was sought from health care professionals, including a doctor and district nurse.

Staff were attentive to people's needs. Staff were able to demonstrate that they knew people well. Staff treated people with dignity and respect.

People were provided with the opportunity to participate in activities which interested them. These activities were diverse to meet people’s social needs. People knew how to make a complaint and complaints had been resolved efficiently.

The service had a number of ways of gathering people’s views including using surveys and by talking with people, staff and relatives. The manager carried out a number of quality monitoring audits to help ensure the service was running effectively and to make improvements.