This inspection took place on 3 November 2016.

Martins is a service for two people who have Autism and learning disabilities. It is a specialist service for people that have anxious or emotional behaviour that has limited their quality of life and experiences. The home is set in a rural area in a small street with a few other houses nearby. There is a good size secure garden behind the house and a workshed. There is a drive up to the property with off road parking for one vehicle.

The service had a registered manager and deputy 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 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

There was a person centred culture where people were supported to have the lifestyle they chose. Meetings were held regularly with people to plan and discuss their goals and aspiriations so that the service was run in the way they wanted.

People were cared for and supported to develop their independence and confidence. There were plenty of staff who were well organised. People chose which staff were going to support them each day with their different activities and interests. Staff were committed and worked hard to provide a service that suited each person and increased their quality of lifestyle.

The home was run in a family style. It was warm, friendly and people’s individuality was respected and nurtured. Staff were trained and competent to carry out their roles. Staff were supervised and had yearly appraisals. All staff were checked before they started work at the service to make sure they were of good character and safe to work with people. People were involved in recruiting new staff. People asked questions about the things that were important to them to make sure new staff had the skills needed to support their lifestyle.

Staff supported people effectively to help them overcome any barriers to their relationships with other people. People had as many opportunities as they wanted to go out and about meet people and live an ordinary lifestyle. Relationships with their families and other people who were important to them were supported. People were helped to make arrangements to meet up and celebrate important events with people they cared for, like birthdays with family members.

People were encouraged to try new experiences and develop new interests to enrich their lifestyle and increase their confidence and self esteem. Noticeboards and planners were used to assist people to plan activities and events. A variety of day to day activities were ongoing inside and outside the home and there were plans for holidays and trips further afield. People were supported to contribute in the service and in the local area to help others and be valued members of the community. People were encouraged and supported to have their voices heard through ‘My Voice’ meetings within the organisation.

People said or expressed that they felt safe in the service and staff had a clear understanding of what could be abuse and how to report it. There was a relaxed and calm atmosphere and people were treated with kindness and compassion.

There was a system of risk assessment to protect people as much as possible without limiting their experiences. Each situation and opportunity was assessed for how it would enhance the person’s quality of life and what the potential risks were. Positive risks were taken to help people develop their independence.

Mealtimes were organised in the way each person preferred. People made their own meals as much as possible and were encouraged to eat a healthy diet. The kitchen was practically designed with everything accessible and only high risk items such as sharp knives were kept securely out of the way when not being used.

The Care Qualit

People said that they were happy with the care and support they received and that their needs were being met in all areas. They said that the staff treated them with respect, listened to them and supported them to raise any concerns they had about their care. People told us that the service had responded to their health needs quickly and that the manager and staff had talked to them regularly about their plan of care and any changes that may be needed.

Comments received about the service included “I am happy here I have no concerns” another person said “staff help me”. One person spoke of the support they got finding a part time job and opportunities to go out and take part in activities. They also said they had regular meetings with staff to discuss issues and that they liked it written down. They said that this helped them to work things out and communicate any issues or concerns.

People were provided with a choice of suitable and nutritious food and drink. People told us they were happy with the food and liked the meals.

An actionplan was in place to address any issues within the environment and an there was also an ongoing maintenance plan. Regular health and safety checks took place to ensure the safety of people using the service. Information about peoples’ experiences had also been asked for and gathered in such a way to allow for monitoring of risks and the quality of care delivery.

One person who uses services said that the staff treated him with respect, listened to him and supported him to raise any concerns he had about his care. He said he received care from a small team of staff and was happy with the care received and had no concerns. He also spoke of his part time job and how staff supported him. Another person had communication difficulties. However he indicated through the staff supporting him that he was happy living there.

Through direct observation, discussions with staff and records viewed we could see that the service actively encouraged people to be members of the wider community. The service provided imaginative and varied opportunities for people to develop and maintain social, emotional, communication and independent living skills. The staff had a strong ethos and focused on involving people in all areas of their lives.

People told us staff had talked to them about the care and support they needed when they first came to Martins. People spoken with did know about their care plan (a plan of care outlining how staff will support them); and felt they had been involved in reviewing it.

People told us they were able to make decisions about their care and day to day lives. People told us that the service responded to their needs and that staff talked to them regularly about their plan of care and any changes that may be needed.