52 Croydon Road provides support and personal care for up to nine people, some of whom have learning disabilities and or mental health needs. This service provides care and support to people so they can live in their own home as independently as possible. People’s care and housing is provided under separate agreements. CQC does not regulate premises used for supported living and so this inspection looked at people’s personal care and support. On the day of the inspection there were six people living at the service.

At the last inspection on 7 July 2015 the service was rated Good. At this inspection we found additional positive changes had been made at the service and it remained Good.

There were some very good aspects of the support provided. People told us the staff team were kind and caring. Relatives spoke positively about the support provided and the progress their family member’s had made. They said support workers sometimes went above and beyond what they needed to and that they knew people very well. Health professionals commented on the consistently welcoming and friendly atmosphere at the service; the proactive attitude of the staff team and manager and on the responsiveness of the service.

People had personalised support plans, health plans and activity plans to ensure their individual needs were catered for. People and their relatives, where appropriate, were involved as far as possible in the planning of their care. People’s needs in relation to their disabilities, race, sexual orientation, religion and gender were recognised and supported appropriately. Regular key worker meetings were held with people to ensure their support was personalised to their needs and preferences and recognised and encouraged their strengths. We observed that support workers treated people respectfully, and had a sense of fun when they interacted with people. People were involved in maintaining their environment safely and encouraged to be as independent as possible. Social inclusion was encouraged through supporting people to maintain effective community links.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives as was assessed to be safe and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; all staff worked within the guidelines of the Mental Capacity Act 2005; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

Relatives told us the service was very well run and that they felt their views were listened to and acted on. Support workers told us they felt well supported and said the registered manager was very approachable. There were robust systems to monitor the quality of the service and these worked effectively. People’s views were sought about the service through regular tenants meetings and an annual survey was conducted with professional relatives and people at the service.

People and their relatives said they were safe at the service. They were supported to understand what abuse, bullying and discrimination was and how they could protect themselves. Support workers were knowledgeable about what the signs of abuse might be and how to report any concerns. The manager was aware of their responsibilities under safeguarding and worked in collaboration with local authorities to address any concerns.

Risks to people including risks in relation to the premises and equipment were effectively assessed, monitored and reduced. All staff knew what to do in an emergency. There was a safe system to manage and administer medicines. There were enough staff to meet people’s needs and effective recruitment procedures were in place. Support workers had adequate training to meet people’s needs.

People were supported to have enough to eat and drink and any health needs were addressed. People and their relatives told us they had not needed to complain. They were aware there was a complaints procedure in place should that be needed.

This inspection took place on the 7July 2015 and was unannounced. At the last inspection on 15 January 2015 the provider met all the requirements for the regulations we inspected.

52 Croydon Road provides support and personal care for up to nine people. Some of whom have learning disabilities and or mental health needs. One the day of the inspection there were nine people living at the service.

There was a registered manager who had been in post for approximately 18 months. 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 told us they felt safe and well looked after at the service. Staff understood signs of abuse or neglect and knew how to report concerns. Individual risks to people were identified and monitored and guidance given to staff to reduce risks. Any risks related to premises and equipment were also monitored. The service worked closely with the placing local authorities and local health and social care professionals and sought advice and guidance when needed.

There were processes in place to manage emergencies and staff knew what to do in these circumstances. There were enough suitably qualified staff to meet people’s needs. People told us staff were available to support them at all times. The staff team consisted of a manager, deputy manager, senior support workers and support workers. Medicines were administered safely. There were adequate and safe recruitment methods. Not all records were readily available at the service to verify checks had been done but these were sent to us following the inspection. We found one missing record which was logged as received but not available. The provider arranged for an audit of staff records to be conducted to ensure all records were present and correct.

Staff received suitable training and support to enable them to carry out their role. Staff were aware of the need to seek consent and people were asked for their consent before they were given support. People’s capacity to make decisions was assessed in line with guidance and the law. People were supported with their dietary needs and encouraged to be as independent as possible with their menu planning, budgeting, shopping and cooking. People’s weight was monitored to reduce risk and they were encouraged to exercise promoting a healthy life style.

We received consistent, positive feedback about the caring and supportive nature of the staff team from people, their relatives and professionals. People told us the staff were caring, kind and gentle. We observed warm conversations between staff and people at the service. Their independence was promoted and the support was personalised. People were not rushed and their privacy and dignity was respected.

People were involved in the planning and review of their support and there were regular key worker and tenants meetings for people to express their views. People’s needs were assessed to ensure they could be safely supported. They received planned support that met their needs and was flexible according to any changes. People were supported to find employment or voluntary work and activities within the community to meet their need for stimulation. They were encouraged to take an active part in the service and people knew how and where to complain if they had a problem.

People, their relatives, staff and professionals all told us the service was well led and there was a strong staff team. There were a number of ways for people to express their views about the service including meetings, questionnaires and forums. The provider and the management team looked for ways for the service to improve and the provider had joined the government drive up quality initiative. This had involved seeking detailed feedback on the organisation from people, relatives, staff professionals. This feedback was available on their website. The service looked for ways to continually respond to feedback they received. The views of people at the service, relatives, staff and visiting professionals were sought and used to make improvements. Overall, there was a system to monitor the quality of the service with regular audits being carried out and actions identified from these audits were carried out.

We received concerns in relation to people’s care and welfare on 08 January 2014 and we followed this up at our inspection on 15 January 2014. Despite the concerns expressed to us we found at our inspection that people’s care and support needs were assessed and regularly reviewed to ensure they received appropriate care; and that the provider had suitable arrangements in place to protect people against the risk of abuse.

People that we spoke with told us that staff looked after them well and supported them to be independent and to meet their assessed needs. One person told us, “I am happy living here and staff are caring”. Another person told us, “I am happy and need help with looking for a job. I would tell staff my concerns”. All the people we spoke with felt safe living at the home. Staff demonstrated awareness of their responsibilities to safeguard people from abuse and harm.

People that we spoke with told us they were happy living at the home, and received appropriate support to promote their independence with daily living skills and accessing the community. One person told us "I like it here and don’t want to leave. Staff are good and help with cooking”. Another person told us "it’s peaceful and calm here. Staff help you when you need them”. People told us they knew how to make a complaint, and for most of them they had not needed to do so. We observed that staff treated people with respect and involved them in making choices about their care and activities on the day of our inspection.

People's health and social care needs were assessed and regularly reviewed to ensure that support being provided met their needs. People told us they felt involved in the planning of their care and were able to give examples in which staff gained their consent before providing care and support. The provider had suitable arrangements in place to ensure the safe management of medicines, and there were sufficient numbers of skilled and experienced staff to support people using the service. The provider had a complaints procedure in place and complaints made were listed to and acted on.

People who used the service told us they were happy living at 52 Croydon Road. People told us the staff were friendly and staff respected their privacy.

People told us staff supported them with daily tasks such as cleaning their flat, cooking, laundry and support in the community where required.

People who used the service told us they were supported to manage their money and medication. Some people told us the service had helped them to work towards being independent with managing their medication.

We heard people were offered choices in various aspects of their lives such as activities and food. One person told us there were not many activities provided and people were sometimes left on their own. People told us they knew how to complain.

People told us they had a key-worker who meets regularly with them to discuss their progress. One person told us they were able to see what is in their care plan.