This unannounced inspection took place on 9 December 2016. This residential care service is registered to provide accommodation and personal care support for up to four people with learning disabilities. At the time of the inspection there were four people living at the home.

There was a registered manager in post at the time of our inspection. 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.

People felt safe in the home. Staff understood the need to protect people from harm and knew what action they should take if they had any concerns. Staffing levels ensured that people received the support they required at the times they needed. Recruitment procedures protected people from receiving unsafe care from care staff unsuited to the job.

People’s were protected from identified risks by staff that followed clear guidelines set in people’s care plans to mitigate the known risks. People were supported to take their medicines as prescribed and medicines were obtained, stored, administered and disposed of safely.

People received care from staff that were supported to carry out their roles to meet the assessed needs of people living at the home. Staff received training in areas that enabled them to understand and meet the care needs of each person and people were actively involved in decisions about their care and support needs.

There were formal systems in place to assess people’s capacity for decision making under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). People were supported to maintain good health and had access to healthcare services when they were needed.

People received care from compassionate and supportive staff which promoted positive relationships with each other. Staff understood the needs of the people they supported and used their knowledge of people’s lives to engage them in meaningful conversations. People were supported to make their own choices and when they needed additional support the staff arranged for an advocate to become involved.

Care plans were written in a person centred manner and focussed on giving people choices and opportunities to receive their care how they liked it. People received support to be fully involved in making decisions about their care. People participated in a range of activities and received the support they needed to help them do this. People were able to choose where they spent their time and what they did. People and their relatives were able to raise complaints and they were investigated and resolved promptly.

People and staff were confident in the management of the home and felt listened to. People and their relatives were able to provide feedback and this was acted on and improvements were made. The service had audits and quality monitoring systems in place which ensured people received good quality care that enhanced their life. Policies and procedures were in place which reflected the care provided at the home.