Inshore support limited, 1 Whitehall Road provides support for up to three people with a learning disability, autistic spectrum disorder, physical disability and or sensory impairment. At the time of our inspection there were three people living in the home. At the last inspection, in December 2014, the service was rated Good. At this inspection we found that the service remained Good.

People continued to receive support that kept them safe and staff received training that enabled them to know how to keep people safe. There was still enough staff available to keep people safe and administer their medicines as they were prescribed.

People continued to be supported by staff who had the skills and knowledge to meet their needs. Where people’s human rights were restricted this was done as required within the law. 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 and encouraged to make decisions they were able too.

The care people received continued to be good. People’s privacy dignity and privacy was being respected.

The service responded to people’s support needs as required. A complaints process was in place so people or their representatives could share their views.

The service continued to be well led. The provider ensured checks and audits on the service continued to take place. The provider used questionnaires to gather views as to the quality of the service and continued to identify areas to improve on.

This was an unannounced inspection that took place on 18 December 2014.

The last inspection of this service took place on 12 September 2013. There were no breaches of legal requirements at that inspection.

1 Whitehall Road is a care home registered for three people. The home provides accommodation and care for people who have a learning disability and at the time of the inspection, three people were living there.

There was a registered 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.

We observed that people were being treated kindly and with dignity and respect and had positive relationships with the staff group.

Staff had access to a variety of training and demonstrated the knowledge to meet the needs of and support the people in the home. There were policies and procedures in place in relation to safeguarding and staff were aware of their roles and responsibilities in respect of keeping people safe.

The Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) sets out what must be done to make sure that the human rights of people who may lack mental capacity to make decisions are protected, including then balancing autonomy and protection in relation to consent or refusal of care. The MCA Deprivation of Liberty Safeguarding (DoLS) requires providers to submit applications to a ‘Supervisory Body’ for authority to deprive someone of their liberty. We found that people’s rights were protected in line with the legislation.

People were appropriately supported and had sufficient food and drink to maintain a healthy diet. People were encouraged to do what they could for themselves and were supported to access the community on a regular basis and maintain friendship groups with people from other homes.

We saw that systems were in place to ensure people were supported to maintain good health. The manager and staff had proactively sought additional advice from health care professionals in order to meet the needs of people living at the home and to develop their own learning.

Medicines were managed safely and people received their medicines when they should.  Medication audits took place on a daily basis. Where particular medicines needed to be administered in the event of an emergency, there was clear guidance available and staff had received training in support of this.

We noted that detailed care plans and risk assessments were in place and were regularly reviewed and updated. Staff were able to demonstrate a detailed knowledge of each person living at the home, their likes and dislikes and how to meet their needs.

We observed the staff group worked well as a team and supported each other. Everyone spoken with felt confident in the ability of the manager of the home and felt fully supported by him. There were systems in place to monitor the quality of the home. People told us that they found the manager and staff group were approachable and supportive and they would raise any concerns should they need to.

There were three people with learning disability living at the home on the day of our inspection; no one knew we would be visiting the home. We spoke to two staff, one commissioner, and the manager.

People with learning disability are not always able to tell us about their experiences so we looked at records relating to their care and observed staff caring for them. Throughout the day we saw staff communicating with each person in the way that they could understand.

We saw that people's views and choices were sought and acted upon. Staff spoken with were able to tell us about people's needs and how they ensured that people received care in a way that they preferred.

Medicines were prescribed and given appropriately to the people who used the services.

The needs of people living at the home were being met through the provision of sufficient and appropriately skilled staff.

There were systems in place to monitor how the home was run, to ensure people received a quality service. The commissioner said, “People are actively supported by the home to achieve their optimum functioning.’’

There were three people with learning disability living at the home on the day of our visit; no one knew we would be visiting. We spoke to one person who lived at the home, three staff, one commissioner and the deputy manager.

People with learning disability are not always able to tell us about their experiences so we looked at records relating to their care and observed staff caring for them. Throughout the day we saw staff communicating with each person in the way that they could understand.

We saw that choices were offered and that people's views were sought and acted upon. Staff spoken with were able to tell us about people's needs and how they ensured that people received care in a way that they preferred.

We saw that people were relaxed in their environment and that systems were in place to keep people safe from harm. A range of training was provided to staff so that they had up to date knowledge and skills in order to support the people who lived in the home. There were systems in place to monitor how the home was run, to ensure people received a quality service. A commissioner said ‘’ they actively support people to do as much as they can.’’

People using this service have high level and complex support needs. The levels of learning disability and communication support needs meant that it was not possible to seek their views directly. We saw that they interacted well with the staff looking after them, and both seemed comfortable in each other’s company. We saw that staff were attentive and treated people respectfully, with warmth and friendliness.