Candle House is registered to accommodate one person who may have a learning disability. The provider was given 48 hour's notice because we needed to be sure that someone would be in.

There was 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.

The registered manager was well respected by staff and relatives. The registered manager is currently training an acting manager who will register with us when they have obtained additional qualifications. The present registered manager will then step down from that role but will remain on the board of trustees.

At the last inspection, the service was rated Good overall. However it was Requires Improvement in Effective because people were not assessed in line with the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards as required.

At this inspection we found the service Good in all areas.

Why the service is rated good:

People continued to receive care from staff who had the skills and knowledge required to effectively support them. People were in the process of having their capacity assessed in line with current legislation. Staff and relatives confirmed any issues where discuss and made with peoples best interest at the forefront of any decisions. Staff were well trained and competent. 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 in the service supported this practice. People's healthcare needs were monitored by the staff and people had access to a variety of healthcare professionals.

The PIR stated; “Staff ensure they are as discreet as possible with this support, whilst ensuring the service user is kept safe. The service user chooses the activities he wants to do and the food he wants to eat. This is discussed with him in pictorial form, to ensure, as far as is possible, that he is making an informed and understood choice.”

People remained safe at the service. A relative said; “Yes they are safe because there are two staff with them at all times.” There were sufficient staff employed to meet people's needs and support them with activities and trips out. Risk assessments were completed to enable people to remain as independent as possible. People received their medicines safely.

The staff were very caring and people had built strong relationships with them. We observed staff being patient and kind. People's privacy was respected. People or their representatives, were involved in decisions about the care and support people received.

The service remained responsive to people's individual needs and provided personalised care and support. People were able to make choices about their day to day lives. Complaints were fully investigated and responded to.

The service continued to be well led. Staff and a relative told us the registered manager was approachable. The registered manager and provider sought people's views to make sure they were at the heart of any changes within the home. The registered manager and provider had monitoring systems which enabled them to identify good practices and areas of improvement.

The inspection took place on the 3 July 2015 and was announced 48 hours beforehand. We last inspected the service on the 6 December 2013 and had concerns that staff were not supported fully to carry out their role effectively and not all records were clear to ensure care was appropriate. We reviewed these during this inspection and found the concerns had been rectified.

The service is registered to provide residential care without nursing. They provide a service to younger adults who have a learning disability and other associated needs. There was one person living at the service when we inspected.

There was 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 having the right to consent to care respected. However, people were not always having their mental capacity and deprivation of liberty assessed and authorised in line with the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards as required. The registered manager had identified this prior to our visit and put systems in place to address this.

People were protected at Candle House by staff trained in recognising how to identify abuse and keep people safe from abuse. Staff were recruited safely. Staff underwent regular training, supervision and appraisal to ensure they were able to remain effective in their role.

Risk assessments were in place to assess and reduce the possibility that people may come to harm. Staff were trained in identifying and meeting people’s specific, highly complex needs. There were clear links with risk assessments, care plans and training for staff to ensure people’s needs were met as fully as possible. People’s medicine was administered safely.

Staff treated people with kindness and respect. People’s dignity was respected at all times. People were involved in planning their care and choosing how they wanted their day to look like. People were supported to take an active role in their local community. Activities were provided to support people to meet their needs and for fun.

Staff worked closely with people and their families to ensure any complaints, concerns and feedback on the service were taken into account and responded to quickly.

The service is a charity and was managed by a management committee. There was clear governance and leadership in place. Staff told us the registered manager and committee were approachable and responsive to any new ideas. The registered manager ensured the quality of the service was maintained.

When we carried out our previous inspection on the 19 February 2013 we found Candle House was being used for day care only and not providing a regulated activity. We were therefore unable to make any comment on how the home was run. When we returned on this occasion we found people were now living at Candle Trust.

We were unable to speak to the two staff on duty as they were undertaking their care responsibilities. We observed how they interacted with people and asked brief questions that did not intrude on or distress the people they were working alongside.

The registered manager was not available when we visited but one of the trustees spent time with us and provided us with information during our visit.

We found that consent to care was being sought and a range of materials used to support choices were being used.

We found the care and welfare needs of people were met and the care was responsive to need.

We found that the staff were trained in safeguarding vulnerable adults and there were appropriate policies in place.

We found the staff were trained in essential subjects relevant to the people they were caring for. We found that staff supervision and appraisals were not up to date and only one staff member was trained to administer certain medications people required.

We found there was a complaints procedure and process in place.

We found that all records were not completed fully, required up dating and did not reflect the current needs of the people using the service.

The person who used the service was funded for day services during the week. Their family had applied for funding for a residential placement. At the time of our inspection it was not known if that funding would be granted. If funding is granted then the person will leave their parents home and move into the house on a full time basis. Until that happens the person uses the premises to receive day time activities and support with personal care.

The charity was set up by the person’s mother and two other mothers. All three mothers were trustees of the charity. The registered manager was one of these. The charity employed four staff, one of whom was the brother of the person who receives services. The staff provided two to one care and support during the working week. They had been employed specifically to provide a service for one person and had been selected for their ability to do so. For example we were told that the person liked walking fast so it was important that the staff were able to keep up with them.

The premises had been bought specifically to meet the needs of the people who had planned to use it and had been furnished to facilitate their development.

We saw that the charity had put into place all the policies and procedures that they were required to.

We found that the service was designed and tailored to meet the person’s individual needs. The charity was working hard to ensure that they provided a professional and appropriate service.