This inspection took place on 22 and 31 May 2018 and was unannounced.

Briardene is registered to provide residential care for up to 13 younger adults and older people who may be living with a learning disability or autistic spectrum disorder. The service is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

The service is a converted town house and accommodation is provided across three floors with communal lounges, kitchens and bathroom facilities for people to use.

The care service has been developed and designed in line with the values that underpin the Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These values include choice, promotion of independence and inclusion. People with learning disabilities and autism using the service can live as ordinary a life as any citizen.

This was the first inspection of the service since the provider, Harrogate Skills 4 Living Centre, took over management of the service in December 2016. Before this, the service had been in administration for approximately three years. At the time of our inspection, there were 12 people using the service.

The service had a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the CQC 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. They had been the registered manager under the previous provider and had continued in this role when Harrogate Skills 4 Living Centre took over the service in December 2016. The registered manager had worked there for over 20 years. They were supported by senior care workers as well as a quality compliance manager and director in the management of the service.

During the inspection, people who used the service told us they felt safe with the support staff provided. Staff understood their responsibilities to safeguard people from abuse and avoidable harm. They had good knowledge of people’s needs, the risks involved with supporting them and how to manage and minimise risks to keep people safe.

Staff were safely recruited and enough staff were deployed to safely meet people’s needs.

Maintenance checks were completed on any equipment used and the home environment. The registered manager introduced a system of regular documented checks in response to our feedback about window-opening restrictors. We suggested developing the environmental risk assessment to ensure it covered potential risks relating to people leaving the building without staff’s knowledge and relating to single paned glass in first and second floor windows.

Medicines were managed safely. The home environment was clean. Staff followed good practice principles to minimise the risk of spreading infections.

Staff received regular training, supervision and an annual appraisal of their performance. Staff provided effective care and gave positive feedback about the support, advice and guidance available to them. We made a recommendation about developing records around mental capacity assessments and best interest decisions.

Staff encouraged people to be actively involved in planning meal choices and supported people to have a varied diet and try new things. They and the registered manager worked well with health and social care professionals to ensure people’s needs were met.

The home environment was suitable and met the needs of the people who lived there. Some areas of the service required redecoration and carpets replacing, but ongoing redecoration work was planned to continually update the home environment. People were involved in decisions about how their rooms were redecorated.

Staff were very kind,