This inspection took place on 25 April 2017 and was unannounced. This was the first inspection completed at this service since it was registered with CQC in 2016.

Knoll House is a residential home and supported living service which provides personal care and support services to adults with autism, learning disabilities and mental health conditions. The service can accommodate up to eight people in supported living apartments and nine people in residential accommodation. The residential accommodation within the service includes two specialist flats for those living with complex needs in addition to three ‘moving on’ flats. The moving on flats are designed to assist people in developing independent living skills and prepare them for moving into their own accommodation. At the time of the inspection there were two people living at the service; one person in supported living and one in the residential service. Three further people were living at the service on a part-time basis as they transitioned to living there full time.

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.

People were supported by a staff team who could recognise potential signs of abuse and knew how to report any concerns. Staff understood how to minimise risks to people they supported, including the risk of injury. People were supported by sufficient numbers of safely recruited staff members. People received their medicines safely and as prescribed.

People were cared for by a staff team who had the appropriate skills and training to support them effectively. People were encouraged to make decisions about their own care and their consent was sought before support was provided. People received sufficient amounts of food and drink that they were enabled to choose. Where people had special dietary requirements these needs were appropriately met. People were supported to maintain their day to day health and access healthcare professionals when needed.

People were supported by a staff team who were kind and caring in their approach. People felt valued and important and enjoyed living at the service. People were encouraged to make choices about their day to day care and how they spent their time. People’s privacy and dignity was respected and upheld. People’s independence was promoted.

People received care and support that met their individual needs. People were involved in the development of their own care and support plans and participated in regular reviews. People were supported to pursue leisure activities and personal activities of their choosing. People felt able to make a complaint or raise any concerns if they needed to.

People were living in a service that was well-led and managed. They were supported by a staff team who were committed, motivated and felt supported in their roles by the management team. People were involved in making decisions about the service and the support they received. The provider and registered manager completed effective audits and quality assurance checks. This meant that they were identifying any areas of improvement required and taking action to ensure any required improvements were made.