Elysium Supported Living provides care and support to 33people in 9 ‘supported living’ settings so that they can live as independently as possible. People’s care and housing are provided under separate contractual agreements. Not everyone using Elysium Supported Living receives regulated activity; CQC only inspects the service being received by people provided with ‘personal care’; help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also take into account any wider social care provided. 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.

At the last inspection, the service was rated Good. At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

Why the service was rated Good.

People were protected from abuse. Risks to people were assessed and minimised. There were sufficient numbers of staff in place to keep people safe and meet their needs. People received their medicines safely. People were protected by the prevention and control of infection where possible. Accidents and incidents were managed effectively.

People’s needs and choices had been assessed when they started using the service. Staff were trained and their skills and competence checked by the registered manager. People were supported to maintain a balanced diet. 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.

Staff were seen to be kind and compassionate towards people. People and their relatives were involved with making decisions about care and support. People were treated with privacy and dignity.

People received care that was personalised to their needs. People were supported to take part in meaningful activities and to engage with the local community. People were encouraged to raise concerns or complaints.

There was an inclusive, open and transparent nature to the service. The registered manager understood the legal requirements of their role. The service had an effective system of checks in place which were used to assess the quality of care provided by staff. The service worked in partnership with other agencies to ensure care was provided in a joined up way.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

This inspection was carried out on 16 November 2015 by one inspector and an expert by experience. It was an announced inspection. Forty-eight hours’ notice of the inspection was given to ensure that the people we needed to speak to were available. Some of the people we spoke with were able to express themselves verbally. Others used specific communication methods such as signing and Makaton to converse with us.

Elysium Supported Living Limited is registered to provide personal care and supported living to younger adults who have a learning or physical disability, autistic spectrum disorder, mental health needs, or other conditions such as sensory impairment. The ethos of the service is to enable people to gain and maintain skills to achieve independent living. People are supported in the community, in their family home, or in shared houses. The Care Quality Commission inspects the care and support the service provides to people but does not inspect the accommodation they live in.

There was a manager in post. 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.

Staff were trained in how to protect people from abuse and harm. They were aware of the procedures to follow in case of abuse or suspicion of abuse, whistle blowing and bullying.

Risk assessments were centred on the needs of the individual. They included clear measures to reduce identified risks and guidance for staff to follow to make sure people were protected from harm. Accidents and incidents were recorded and monitored to identify how risks of re-occurrence could be reduced.

There were enough qualified, skilled and experienced staff to meet people's needs. Staffing levels were calculated according to people’s changing needs and ensured continuity of one to one support. Thorough recruitment practice was followed to ensure staff were suitable for their role.

Staff were trained in the safe administration of medicines. Records relevant to the administration of medicines or the supervision of medicines were monitored. This ensured they were accurately kept and medicines were administered to people and taken by people safely according to their individual needs.

Staff knew each person well and understood how to meet their support needs. Each person’s needs and personal preferences had been assessed before care was provided and were continually reviewed. This ensured that the staff could provide care in a way that met people’s particular needs and wishes.

Staff had completed the training they needed to support people in a safe way. They had the opportunity to receive further training specific to the needs of the people they supported. All members of care staff received regular one to one supervision sessions to ensure they were supported while they carried out their role. They received an annual appraisal of their performance and training needs.

All care staff and management were trained in the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and were knowledgeable about the requirements of the legislation. People’s mental capacity was assessed and meetings were held in their best interest when appropriate.

Staff sought and obtained people’s consent before they provided support. When people declined or changed their mind, their wishes were respected.

Staff supported people when they planned their individual menus and ensured people made informed choices that promoted their health. Staff knew about people’s dietary preferences and restrictions.

The staff used creative ways to make sure that people had inclusive methods of communication. People told us that staff communicated effectively with them, responded to their needs promptly and treated them with kindness and respect. Peop

We met with some of the people in one of the shared houses, and spoke with some of the people using the service or their relatives on the phone. They were positive about the care they received. One person told us they “do like it” and another that the “staff treat me well”. Another person said that they “have a say in things.” A relative told us they were “very happy” and thought their family member was “well supported” and had “no complaints”. Another relative said that they had “had a few issues, but they’ve been very supportive” and that they were “very good” and they “can’t fault them.”

People had detailed care and support plans, which they were involved in developing, so that staff knew how to meet their needs.

There were processes in place to protect people from abuse, and the people we spoke with said they felt safe and able to express their concerns. The necessary recruitment checks had been carried out on staff before they started working in the service.

Staff received training, supervision and appraisal to support them to meet the needs of people using the service.

The service checked and monitored the quality of care provided, and asked staff, people using the service and their relatives for their views.