This inspection took place on 31 January 2017 and was unannounced. This meant the staff and registered provider did not know we would be visiting.

Disability Action Yorkshire – 34 Claro Road provides care and accommodation for up to 22 people with physical disabilities. On the day of our inspection there were 21 people using the service.

The service had a registered manager in place. 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. At the time of our inspection, the registered manager was on sick leave and a temporary manager was in charge.

We last inspected the service in October 2014 and rated the service as ‘Good.’ At this inspection we found the service remained ‘Good’ and met all the fundamental standards we inspected against.

Accidents and incidents were appropriately recorded and risk assessments were in place. The registered manager understood their responsibilities with regard to safeguarding and staff had been trained in safeguarding vulnerable adults.

Appropriate arrangements were in place for the administration and storage of medicines.

The home was clean, spacious and suitable for the people who used the service and appropriate health and safety checks had been carried out.

There were sufficient numbers of staff on duty in order to meet the needs of people who used the service. The registered provider had an effective recruitment and selection procedure in place and carried out relevant checks when they employed staff.

Staff were suitably trained and received regular supervisions and appraisals.

The registered provider was working within the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and was following the requirements in the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS).

People were protected from the risk of poor nutrition and staff were aware of people’s nutritional needs. Care records contained evidence of visits to and from external health care specialists.

People who used the service and family members were complimentary about the standard of care at Disability Action Yorkshire – 34 Claro Road.

Staff treated people with dignity and respect and helped to maintain people’s independence by encouraging them to care for themselves where possible. Care plans were in place that recorded people’s plans and wishes for their end of life care.

Care records showed that people’s needs were assessed before they started using the service and care plans were written in a person centred way.

Activities were arranged for people who used the service based on their likes and interests and to help meet their social needs.

The registered provider had an effective complaints procedure in place and people who used the service and family members were aware of how to make a complaint.

Staff felt supported by the management team and were comfortable raising any concerns. People who used the service, family members and staff were regularly consulted about the quality of the service.

This inspection was carried out on 09 October 2014.

Claro Road is owned by the charity Disability Action Yorkshire. The home is registered to provide care for up to 22 adults with physical disabilities. Part of the focus of the service is to develop independent living skills. The service includes a self-contained flat which enables people to prepare for living independently. It is situated about one mile from the centre of Harrogate. There is 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 that this service was safe and people told us that they felt safe living in this service. Staff were recruited safely and checks were made before staff were employed to ensure that they were considered suitable people to work with people who used the service.

There was sufficient staff with appropriate skills and knowledge on duty to meet the needs of the people who used the service. Staff received supervision from more senior staff which enabled them to discuss any matters pertinent to their work and to develop personally. There was a full training programme in place and staff reported that they were able to access appropriate mandatory and additional training.

The staff spoke kindly to people and treated them with respect which was reflected in the good relationships between staff and people who used the service that we observed during our inspection. There was mutual respect evident when people spoke to each other.

Staff were able to explain how they would safeguard people and if necessary how they would report any incidents that may have caused people harm. We saw that staff had received training in safeguarding vulnerable adults. This meant that staff awareness around safeguarding was good and therefore if any situation arose where someone was at risk of harm staff would know what to do. We found medicines were managed appropriately ensuring that people received their medication safely.

The registered manager was following the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and had made some applications in respect of people being deprived of their liberty where required.

The environment was exceptionally well maintained and decorated and as the building was purpose built it was fully accessible and appropriate for people using the service. Activities were designed to provide meaningful occupation and were person specific. Bedrooms were personalised and people had brought personal items and photographs to decorate the rooms.

There was an effective quality assurance system in place which helped in the development of the service and making changes and improvements.

We used a number of different methods to help us understand the experiences of people using the service including talking to people who lived at the home and observing the care provided. People told us that the support they received was well planned and that they were involved in all decisions made about their care. They made comments such as, “I talk with staff about my care and how I want to be helped” and, “I have only been here a short while, but everyone one has asked how I like things and what I would like to do with my time."

We looked around the home and saw that the home was clean and well maintained. We observed the home was fresh and free from odour. However, whilst there were some systems in place to manage infectious diseases and protect people’s health we noted that some areas were not audited and could be overlooked. The manager said that they would improve the audit systems to ensure these were reviewed.

We looked at the medication and found that the systems for helping people to manage their medication were safe and well organised.

We also found that staff were well supported. This included regular supervision and staff meetings. Staff also had regular training and development opportunities.

We saw that regular checks were carried out by senior management, to monitor the quality of the service and that the service annually reviewed people’s ‘satisfaction’ of the service. We also saw that there was an effective complaints system.

People told the expert by experience they were happy with the care. One comment included “When I came to visit, I asked questions………I was delighted that here (Claro Road) was going to meet my needs, rather than me meeting theirs." and "I am at a place where I am fully supported.” And also “The staff respect me in all things; they respect my values and beliefs.”

We observed the staff during their interaction with individuals and saw they supported people in a respectful and dignified way. We also saw people were at ease and clearly relaxed in their surroundings.

People we spoke with said there were plenty of choices of activities if they wished. One person we spoke with said “The important thing is I do want I want to do; I like the freedom and the fact there is no pressure on me to take part if I don’t wish to.”

People told us they were given information about how to complain, they felt their concerns were listen to and acted upon. People also told us they felt the home was well managed and the staff were competent. They also felt the staff and manager were supportive and approachable.

We spoke to people who use the service and they confirmed that they make their own decisions about how they want to be supported from day-to-day.

For example people said they were asked about what activities they wanted to be involved in during the week. Some people wanted to attend college to develop their knowledge and skills further; others enjoyed going into Harrogate and joining social groups and participating in community activities.

People told us that they were supported by the staff to plan activities around what interested them and how they wished to maintain and develop their independence.

People also told us about contact and visits to their families and holidays they had enjoyed and also of those planned for the future.

We were invited to look at people’s bedrooms and people confirmed that they decided how their bedrooms were decorated the colour schemes and what they wanted to have in their rooms such as: music systems, televisions, posters, pictures and other items to personalise their rooms.