We carried out an announced inspection of Hyndburn and Ribble Valley Domiciliary Service on 7 and 8 January 2019.

This service provides care and support to people living in 14 ‘supported living’ settings, so that they can live as independently as possible. People’s care and housing are provided under separate contractual agreements. CQC does not regulate premises used for supported living; this inspection looked at people’s personal care and support.

The care service had been developed and designed in line with the values that underpin ‘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 time of the inspection, there were 32 people using the service.

At the last inspection, in June 2016 the service was rated as ‘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.

People told us they felt safe and staff were kind and caring. Safeguarding adults’ procedures were in place and staff understood how to safeguard people from abuse. There were sufficient numbers of staff deployed to meet people's needs and ensure their safety. Staff responded quickly and effectively to support people’s changing needs. Appropriate recruitment procedures were followed to ensure prospective staff were suitable to work in the home. People received their medicines when they needed them from staff who had been trained and had their competency checked. Risk assessments were carried out to enable people to retain their independence and receive care with minimum risk to themselves or others. People were protected from the risks associated with the spread of infection.

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’s needs were assessed prior to them using the service. New staff received an induction and were offered ongoing training during their employment. Staff were supported with regular supervisions and annual appraisals to ensure they could deliver care effectively. People were supported to eat a nutritionally balanced diet and to maintain their health.

Staff were respectful of people’s privacy and maintained their dignity. All people and the relatives spoken with told us the staff were kind and caring. We observed staff had a good relationship with people and supported them in an attentive and sensitive manner.

People’s care records were personalised and included their preferences as well as the goals they wanted to achieve. There were arrangements in place to review people's care plans to ensure care was delivered appropriately. People and their relatives were consulted as part of the person-centred planning process and their views were acted upon.

People were supported to plan and participate in activities that were personalised and meaningful to them. We noted people participated in a wide range of activities and had an activity planner to help them structure their time. People had access to a complaints procedure and were confident any concerns would be taken seriously and acted upon.

People, relatives and staff spoken with told us the service was well managed and operated smoothly. Systems were in place to monitor the quality of the service provided and ensure people received safe and effective support. These included seeking and responding to feedback from people in relation to the operation of the service.

We carried out an inspection of Hyndburn and Ribble Valley Domiciliary Service on 20 and 21 June 2016. We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of our intention to carry out the inspection. This is because the location is a community based service and we needed to be sure that someone would be present in the office.

Hyndburn and Ribble Valley Domiciliary Service is registered to provide personal care to people living in their own home. The service specialised in providing flexible support to people with learning disabilities living in the Hyndburn and Ribble Valley areas. At the time of the inspection there were 30 people using the service.

The service was managed by a registered manager. 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 last inspected this service on 2 December 2013 and found it was meeting all legal requirements applicable at that time. During this inspection, we found the service was meeting the current regulations.

People using the service said they felt safe and staff treated them well. Appropriate recruitment checks took place before staff started work. There were enough staff on duty and deployed throughout the service to meet people's care and support needs. Safeguarding adults’ procedures were robust and staff understood how to safeguard the people they supported from abuse. There was a whistle-blowing procedure available and staff said they would use it if they needed to. People's medicines were managed appropriately and people received their medicines as prescribed by health care professionals.

Staff had completed an induction when they started work and they were up to date with the provider's mandatory training. The registered manager and staff understood the principles associated with the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and acted according to this legislation. There were appropriate arrangements in place to ensure people were supported to follow a healthy diet. People had access to a GP and other health care professionals when they needed them.

Staff treated people in a respectful and dignified manner and people's privacy was respected. We observed staff had a good relationship with people and supported them in an attentive and unhurried manner. People using the service and their relatives, where appropriate, had been consulted about their care and support needs. Support plans and risk assessments provided guidance for staff on how to meet people’s needs. People were supported to participate in activities that were personalised and meaningful to them. We noted people participated in a wide range of activities and had an activity planner to help them structure their time.

People were aware of how they could raise a complaint or concern if they needed to and had access to an easy read complaints procedure.

All people, their relatives and staff told us the service was well managed and operated smoothly. The registered manager provided leadership and took into account the views of people and their relatives about the quality of care provided through support plan review meetings and surveys. The registered manager used the feedback to make improvements to the service.

People were satisfied with the service provided, one person told us, “It’s nice, I like it”. People told us the staff were respectful of their rights to privacy and dignity and they were supported to maintain and build their independence skills.

People’s care and support was planned and delivered in accordance with their needs. People had detailed individual support plans which were underpinned by a series of risk assessments. People told us they discussed their needs with staff and had been fully involved in the review of their plans.

New staff were thoroughly checked before they started working for the service. This meant the provider ensured staff were suitable to work with people using the domiciliary service.

Staff were provided with appropriate training opportunities and received regular supervision. This meant staff had the right skills and knowledge to carry out their role effectively.

We found there were established systems to monitor the quality and operation of the service. We saw evidence to demonstrate that people were consulted about their opinion of the service and their comments were used to shape future developments.