About the service: Compton House is a residential care home that was providing accommodation and care to 11 people at the time of the inspection. The home is located in a semi-rural area on the outskirts of Winchester and provides support for people with learning disabilities or autistic spectrum disorder.

People’s experience of using this service:

The outcomes for people using the service reflected the principles and values of Registering the Right Support in the following ways; promotion of choice and control, independence and inclusion. e.g. People’s support focussed on them having as many opportunities as possible to gain new skills and become more independent.

People were happy living at Compton House, interactions between people and staff were relaxed and caring. People were able to communicate in ways they preferred and staff offered people choices about all areas of their care and treatment.

People received a safe service because the provider had systems and processes which helped to minimise risks. This included recruitment procedures and training for staff about how to recognise and report suspicions of abuse.

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 supported by staff who worked with other professionals to consider the most effective approaches if a person exhibited behaviours which challenged. Staff focussed on spending time with people in ways they wished and were confident about how to respond if a person became upset.

Compton House placed a focus on progression for people. Care plans were regularly updated to reflect people’s changing needs and we saw evidence of the changes in people’s abilities since moving to the home. Staff worked with people to encourage and build independence and social skills.

Staff enjoyed their roles and spoke with affection about the people they supported. The registered manager was approachable and responsive and worked alongside their team to improve outcomes for people. Systems and processes were in place to provide regular oversight of the service and drive improvements.

A full description of our findings can be found in the sections below.

Rating at last inspection: Good. Published 9 August 2016.

Why we inspected: This inspection was a scheduled inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up: We will continue to monitor intelligence we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If any concerning information is received we may inspect sooner.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

This unannounced inspection of Compton House took place on 24 and 25 May 2016. The home provides accommodation and support for up to 11 people with learning disabilities, autism or mental health diagnoses. The primary aim at Compton House is to support people to lead a full and active life within their local communities and continue with life-long learning and personal development. The service consists of a large detached house with three self-contained bungalow annexes within the grounds.

At the time of the inspection there were five people living in the home. Three people had their own bungalow annexe, while two people had en-suite rooms within the main house. The rear garden had been adapted to provide recreational areas to meet particular individual’s needs. People and staff were proud of their home and garden.

The service had a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) 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 and relatives told us they trusted the staff completely as they provided reassurance when people worried and made them feel safe. Staff had completed safeguarding training and had access to current legislation and guidance. Staff had identified and responded appropriately to safeguarding incidents to protect people from harm. People were safeguarded from the risk of abuse as incidents were reported and acted upon.

Since Compton House began providing a service in August 2015 there had been 22 incidents which had been referred to the local safeguarding authority. These incidents had been reported, recorded and investigated in accordance with the provider’s safeguarding policies and local authority guidance. During our inspection we found that effective action had been taken by the provider, which had resulted in a considerable reduction in such incidents. People had been safeguarded against the risk of abuse by staff who took prompt action if they suspected people were at risk of harm.

Where risks to people had been identified in their care plans measures were implemented to manage these. Staff understood the risks to people’s health and welfare, and followed guidance to manage them safely. People were kept safe by staff who demonstrated their understanding of people’s risk assessments and management plans.

There were sufficient numbers of staff deployed with the necessary experience and skills to support people safely. The registered manager completed a weekly staffing needs analysis in order to ensure that any changes in people’s needs were met by enough suitable staff.

Staff had undergone required pre-employment checks, to ensure people were protected from the risk of being supported by unsuitable staff. Staff had received an induction into their role, required training and regular supervision which prepared them to carry out their roles and responsibilities.

People were cared for by sufficient numbers of well trained staff who were effectively supported by the registered manager and senior staff.

Medicines were administered safely in a way people preferred, by trained staff who had their competency regularly assessed by the provider. Medicines were stored and disposed of safely, in accordance with current legislation and guidance.

People were actively involved in making decisions about their care and were always asked for their consent before any support was provided. Staff supported people to identify their individual wishes and needs by using their individual and unique methods of communication. People were encouraged to be as independent as they were able to be, as safely as possible.

Staff had completed training on the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005 and understood their responsibilities. The MCA 2005 legislation prov