Care Management Group – 97 Old Street provides accommodation and personal care for up to five people living with a learning disability. The accommodation is on the ground level and people share communal areas and the garden and each person has their own bedroom.

The inspection took place on 27 and 31 January 2017 and was announced. We gave 24 hours’ notice of the inspection because five people lived at the service and we wanted to make sure people were in when we visited.

There was a registered manager at the service. 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 provider had policies and procedures in place designed to protect people from abuse. Staff had completed training in safeguarding adults and were aware of the different types of abuse and what they would do if they suspected or witnessed abuse. People were protected from avoidable harm and risk assessments were in place. The provider sought references and completed checks before new staff started working at the home. People’s needs were met by adequate staffing levels. People received their medicines as prescribed.

People were supported by staff who had received relevant training to enable them to support people they worked with. New staff completed an induction to the home and were supported with a variety of training, including the Care Certificate, supervision and appraisal. Staff had training in and followed legislation designed to protect people’s rights and ensured they offered people choices and sought consent. People enjoyed their meals and had access to healthcare professionals when necessary.

People and the staff supporting them had formed caring and positive relationships. Staff promoted and supported people’s relationships with friends and relatives and understood the importance of this to the people they supported. People were supported to make choices in their everyday lives. Staff were mindful of respecting peoples’ privacy and dignity.

The service was extremely responsive. People had lived at the service for many years and staff knew them well. People’s individual needs were met in ways which they preferred and suited them personally. Staff were enthusiastic and keenly supported people to engage in meaningful activities which met their aspirations. The provider had a complaints policy in place and sought the views of people living at the service as well as their relatives.

The registered manager and provider promoted a positive culture that was open and inclusive. The registered manager had systems in place to monitor the quality of the service provided, which included undertaking a range of regular audits.

During our inspection all five people living at 97 Old Street spent time in their home. We were able to establish they were happy with their care and had good relationships with members of staff. All the people had regular visits from family members.

We found that staff members treated people with dignity and respect. Each person had their own bedroom and there were communal areas where people could spent time alone if they wished. Observations showed us people were involved in all aspects of their daily living. Staff members always asked each person before carrying out any activity if they wished to join in or do the activity.

From looking at records held in the home we were able to establish people had assessments and care plans. We could see that these were reviewed on a regular basis and detailed where necessary the relevant risk assessment.

The layout of the home made it suitable for the people who lived there. People had access to their own living space, communal areas including a sensory room and a hydro pool.

We found that the provider had undertaken all the necessary recruitment checks on staff to ensure the safety of people.

There was an effective system in place to ensure the quality of the service provided was assessed and monitored.

People in the home had limited verbal communication skills. As a result of this we spent time observing the care people received and spoke to care staff. People were able to communicate non directly and they demonstrated they were happy with the care they were receiving. Staff were able to communicate with each person and could tell if the person was giving consent to care and treatment. Staff told us they would be able to tell if the person was not consenting to care and treatment and their choice would always be respected.

People had clear support plans for all aspects of daily living and to meet their health needs. These had been reviewed on a regular basis. Risk assessments where necessary had been completed to ensure people could take risks, but were also provided with a safe framework for their care and environment.

People received support to take their medication safely.The home had well trained staff who knew the homes policies and procedures regarding medication.

People received support and care from staff who received regular training in a range of topics. Staff received regular support through supervision and an annual appraisal.

The home had received no complaints but had an effective procedure in place to receive and deal with any complaints made.

People said they liked living in the home and said they were well treated by staff, who provided the support they needed.