Jane Percy House is registered to provide accommodation and personal care to a maximum of 26 people. Nursing care is not provided. Care is provided to people who have learning disabilities and/or a physical disability.

At the last inspection in March 2015 we had rated the service as 'Good'. At this inspection we found the service remained 'Good' and met each of the fundamental standards we inspected.

People were protected as staff had received training about safeguarding and knew how to respond to any allegation of abuse. There were enough staff to provide individual care and support to people. Staff received opportunities for training to meet peoples' care needs and in a safe way. A system was in place for staff to receive supervision and appraisal and there were robust recruitment processes being used when staff were employed.

People had access to health care professionals to make sure they received appropriate care and treatment. Staff followed advice given by professionals to make sure people received the treatment they needed. People received their medicines in a safe and timely way. People who used the service received a varied diet and had food and drink to meet their needs.

The acting manager was meeting the requirements of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). Staff had a good understanding of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and best interest decision making, when people were unable to make decisions themselves. 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 provided with opportunities to follow their interests and hobbies. They were supported to contribute and to be part of the local community. Staff had developed good relationships with people, were caring in their approach and treated people with respect. Care plans were in place detailing how people wished to be supported and people were involved in making decisions about their care.

Records showed people were supported to maintain some control in their lives. They were given information in a format that helped them to understand and encourage their involvement in every day decision making. There was regular consultation with people and/or family members. A complaints procedure was available and people we spoke with said they knew how to complain but they hadn’t needed to.

Staff said the acting manager and management team were supportive and approachable. Communication was effective, ensuring people, their relatives and other relevant agencies were kept up to date about any changes in people's care and support needs and the running of the service. The provider continuously sought to make improvements to the service people received. The provider had effective quality assurance processes that included checks of the quality and safety of the service.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

We carried out an unannounced visit on 26 March 2015. The previous inspection was carried out on 4 June 2013 and the service was found to be meeting the standards of the five outcomes that were inspected.

The Jane Percy House provides accommodation and personal care for up to 26 adults with physical disabilities. The home is situated in near the centre of Cramlington, Northumberland. There were 24 people living at the home at the time of our inspection.

A registered manager was in post. 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.

The staff on duty confirmed they were aware of the policies and procedures the registered provider had in place to help ensure people were protected from harm and they had received training related to these. A system was in place to ensure people received their medicines when they needed them and all medicines were securely stored.

People said there were sufficient staff on duty to respond to their needs and the staff confirmed they had enough time to complete their duties each day.

Accidents and incidents were recorded and risk assessments were in place if any concerns were apparent. Health and safety checks were carried out on the equipment within the home and the premises were well maintained.

Records showed that checks were carried out prior to staff being employed in the home to ensure they were suitable to work with vulnerable people.

CQC monitors the operation of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). DoLS are part of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). These safeguards aim to make sure that people are looked after in a way that does not inappropriately restrict their freedom. The registered manager told us there was one DoLS authorisation in place where it had been necessary to restrict a person’s liberty in their best interests and to safeguard them from harm.

People said the food was good, they were given sufficient to eat and drink and they were always offered choice. Staff supported and encouraged people who required help to eat and drink.

Staff told us they had undergone appropriate training to meet people’s needs and the records confirmed this. The staff felt very well supported by the registered manager and received regular supervision sessions and annual appraisals.

We saw staff respected people’s privacy and dignity and this was confirmed by the people who lived in the home.

The records showed the staff made prompt referrals to health care professionals if required. A health care professional who visited the home regularly told us the registered manager was proactive and requested their input and advice when appropriate. New activities had recently been introduced to the home and the staff confirmed they were able to spend time with people on an individual basis.

People told us they knew about the complaints procedures and would not hesitate to use it if they had a problem or issue.

We looked at four care records and found people’s individual needs had been assessed prior to them using the service. Care plans had been developed to provide staff with information and guidelines about how needs should be met.

Surveys were sent to people who used the service to gain their opinion and meetings were held to discuss day to day issues in the home and to ask people if they had any suggestions to improve the service provided. The minutes showed that these were well attended.

The registered manager had carried out audits and checks to help ensure standards were met and maintained. A quality manager from the Trust visited the home each month and produced a written report of their findings and which included any actions required to ensure standards were being met and any improvements which were necessary.

People told us they were consulted about their care and asked for their consent before they received care and treatment. Comments included, "The staff always say can I help you?" and "They never do anything without asking me first". We found

people were asked for their consent before they received care and treatment.

People's care and support needs were appropriately assessed, their care needs were planned and their individual needs were met. People said the staff were polite and looked after them very well. Comments included, "The staff are well aware of my needs" and "Everything is great". We concluded that people's care needs were assessed and care and treatment was planned and delivered in line with their individual care plans.

We looked at equipment and facilities provided for the people who used the service. We found that people were provided with appropriate equipment which was well maintained to ensure their safety.

We found there were effective recruitment and selection processes in place so appropriate staff were employed to care for people who used the service.

We spoke to six people who told us they knew how to make a complaint and felt their comments would be taken seriously and investigated. They all said they had never needed to complain because they felt they were well looked after. We concluded people had their comments and complaints listened to, and acted upon, without the fear they would be discriminated against for making a complaint.

People told us they enjoyed living in the home and their privacy and dignity was respected. They said they were encouraged to make choices and the staff were understanding and supportive. They told us they were asked their opinion about how the home was run and felt any complaints would be taken seriously. They said the menus were discussed with them and they were able to make suggestions for certain dishes to be added.