Maple Cottage is a small Victorian cottage located in the village of Send near Woking. It is a family home and has a domestic atmosphere. The home provided care to one person who had lived as part of the family for many years.

One of the providers is the 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run. Both providers were present for the duration of our visit.

Medicines were managed in a safe way and recording of medicines was completed to show the person had received the medicines they required. The person was able to live as a family member and was able to be as independent as they could be. Foreseeable risks had been identified and managed in a way as to be as least restrictive as possible. The person supported was encouraged to take part in a range of activities which were individualised and meaningful for that person without causing them anxiety.

The providers had followed legal requirements to make sure that any decisions made or restrictions to the person were done in their best interest. The providers were well aware the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005 and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS).

The providers had kept themselves up to date with current practice and had undertaken training to allow them to deliver good care in an effective and competent way. The providers undertook quality assurance audits to ensure the care provided was of a standard the person should expect. Any areas identified as needing improvement were actioned immediately.

This provider supports one person with learning disabilities. All care was given by the provider's in the setting of a family home. Due to the person’s special communication needs it was difficult to ask them about their experience of care. We observed their interaction with the providers during the inspection. We saw that the providers were responsive to the person’s particular way of communicating and provided appropriate care. The support offered was in line with the person’s care plan and the risk assessments which had been carried out.

We read correspondence between the provider and health and social care agencies. We also spoke at length to the provider and a health professional closely involved with the person who used the service. We found that the provider delivered effective care and support that has developed over time to address the person’s changing needs and promote the person’s social life outside the home.

We found that the provider actively sought to improve their skills and knowledge in order to improve the care they provided to the person.

We announced the inspection to make sure that the one person using the service would be at home so we could meet with them.

We used a number of different methods to help us understand the experience of the person using the service, because they had complex needs which meant they were not able to tell us their experiences.

We spent time with the person using the service and noted that they were relaxed and content. We saw that they were familiar with their surroundings and were able to move freely around their home.

We saw that they were able, in their own way, to communicate their needs and these were met by the registered manager with whom, the person showed, they had a trusting relationship.

Due to the person’s special communication needs it was difficult to ask them about their views of Maple Cottage.

We spent some time with the person and observed how they were. We saw that they were content and familiar with their surroundings.

We saw that they were able, in their own way, to communicate their needs and were supported to have their needs met.

They appeared settled and happy.