Our inspection took place on 13 March 2018 and was announced.

Common Road is a 'care home'. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. We regulate both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

The service accommodated one person in a residential house. There was a bedroom, bathroom, combined lounge and dining room with a yard at the rear of the house. There was also a staff office.

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

The provider is required to have a registered manager as part of their conditions of registration. 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. At the time of our inspection, there was a registered manager in post.

At our last inspection on 13 October 2015 we rated the service “good”. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of “good” and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

Why the service is rated good:

We found the person was protected against abuse or neglect. The person had personalised risk assessments tailored to their personal requirements. We saw sufficient staff were deployed to provide support to the person and ensure their safety. Medicines were safely managed. The premises were clean and tidy.

The service was compliant with the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and associated codes of practice. The person was assisted 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.

Staff received appropriate induction, training, supervision and support. This ensured their knowledge, skills and experience were suitable to care for the person. The person’s care preferences, likes and dislikes were assessed, recorded and respected. Access to other community healthcare professionals ensured the person could maintain a healthy lifestyle .

Staff had developed a friendly relationship with the person who used the service and their relatives. There was complimentary feedback from the person and their relative about the care, staff and service. The person’s privacy was respected and they received dignified support from staff.

The service provided person-centred care. The person’s care plans were holistic and contained information on how staff could support the person in the best way. We saw there was an appropriate complaints system in place. The person had a say in how their care was planned and delivered. Staff actively listened to and abided by the person’s choices.

The service was well-led. There was a positive workplace culture and staff felt that management listened to what they had to say. The management used robust methods to measure the safety and quality of care. The service had developed strong relationships with the social and healthcare community in the area. The service followed the principles of the Accessible Information Standard.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

Common Road provides care and support to one person at the service. The service is registered to accommodate one person only.

Common road has a registered manager in place. 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.

We found care and support provided to the person living at Common Road was of a good standard. The person was supported by staff who knew the person’s needs well and supported them to live a more enabled and independent lifestyle, for example, cooking skills and attending a local college.

The home was well furnished and located well for the person to access the local community. Two staff were present at all times to ensure the person was protected from potential risks and harm.

Care plans were detailed and comprehensive and gave a good overview of how the person wished to be supported, and how staff could support the person. The service worked very well with other professionals to ensure the person received a good standard of care.

We saw processes were in place to assess the safety and quality of the service. We also saw positive comments from relatives which were used in an advertising campaign for the provider. The person we spoke with told us they liked the service and about what they did. We saw the person appeared happy and cared for.

We have made one recommendation to ensure evidence is provided in regards to management of finances.