Cedar Road is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection. Cedar Road accommodates nine people across one large purpose build building.

This service also provides a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats. It provides a service to younger disabled adults.

At this inspection we found the service remains Good.

People felt safe and secure around staff they knew and were familiar with. Staff understood how to keep people safe and understood the process for reporting any concerns. The registered manager had developed links with the local authority in order to discuss any concerns they may have and work together to identify any improvements. Staff understood people’s health and any underlying risks to their health and wellbeing. Staff knew what action to take to protect people and reduce the risks to their health and wellbeing. The registered manager followed the registered provider’s process for ensuring staff working at the service had background recruitment checks in place. People received advice and support with their medicines and checks were carried out by the management team to ensure people received the correct medicines.

People were supported by staff that had access to regular supervision and training which was monitored to ensure it was up to date. People received support from staff that worked with other professionals to ensure their care was based on best practice. People were encouraged to support a healthy lifestyle which included exercise and a diet offering healthy choices. People liked the food and could help plan their meals. 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 were encouraged by staff to develop interests and were supported to plan how they care was delivered. People were involved in regular meetings to review their care and identify goals within their care that they wanted to achieve. Staff met with people to review and plan their care to show how these goals were achieved.

People understood they could complain if needed and knew the process to make a complaint. People felt assured if they spoke with the staff or the registered manager, they would listen and act upon their concerns. People felt comfortable approaching the registered manager and sharing their worries or concerns.

People knew and were familiar with the management team and felt they were accessible to them. The management team worked with staff to review and monitor people’s care. Key workers were involved in helping update care plans to reflect changes in care preferences.

The management team worked together to review and monitor people’s care through regular care planning meetings, team meeting as well as checks ensured the system for updating people’s care was embedded.

Further information is in the detailed findings below

The inspection took place on the 24 and 25 June 2015 and was unannounced.

Cedar Road is registered to provide accommodation and support to nine people with a learning disability, a mental health condition, physical disability or a drugs and alcohol dependency.

There was a registered manager in post at the home. 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 in the service. Staff were able to demonstrate a good understanding of how people should be kept safe and the action they would take where people were at risk of harm.

People told us their medicines were administered to them how they wanted and we found that staff had the appropriate skills to administer medicines safely.

People told us there was sufficient staff to support them.

Staff we spoke with told us they were able to get the appropriate support they would need to support people appropriately.

People told us their consent was given before staff supported them. Where people lacked capacity we found that the appropriate processes were being followed where people’s human rights were being restricted as part of the Mental Capacity Act (2005).

People told us they were able to eat and drink what they wanted. Where people had specific support needs we saw that staff were able to support people appropriately.

People told us that staff were caring, kind and friendly. Our observation confirmed the compassion staff demonstrated towards people.

We observed people being supported to share their views on the service they wanted by way of a service user meeting.

We saw that independence, dignity and privacy were key ingredients to how people were supported and people told us this was the case.

The service people received was personalised to meet their individual goals and targets. People told us they were able to meet their keyworker on a regular basis to discuss the support they received.

People told us they were able to take part in activities they like to do outside of the home.

The provider had a complaints process in place to enable people to share any concerns they may have.

The service promoted a positive culture that was person centred and the atmosphere was open and empowered people to live their lives how they wanted.

People and relatives were able to share their views on the service by completing an annual questionnaire made available by the provider.

The provider had a system in place to monitor the quality of the service people received.