Douglas Close is a residential home which provides care and accommodation for up to three adults with learning disabilities including autism. On the day of our inspection three people were living in the home. Some people needed more support as they could become distressed and anxious.

There was a registered manager in place. 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.

At the last inspection on 25 February 2015, the service was rated Good. At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

Why the service is rated Good

People were safe because staff understood risks involved in people’s care and took action to minimise these risks. There was sufficient staff on duty to ensure that people received the care they needed and to keep people safe. Staff understood their roles and responsibilities in keeping people safe and protecting them from harm and abuse. The registered manager carried out appropriate pre-employment checks before staff started work.

Medicines were managed, stored and administered safely. Accidents and incidents were recorded and reviewed with a plan in place to minimise the risk of them occurring again.

People’s care was provided by regular staff that knew their needs well and provided support in a consistent way. Staff had access to the induction, training and support they needed to do their jobs. People’s choices and views were respected. Care was provided in the least restrictive way to people.

People were supported to eat food they enjoyed and were encouraged to maintain a healthy diet. Staff were aware of dietary restrictions involved in people’s care. People’s health and well being were managed as they had access to the appropriate health and social care professionals. People who had ongoing conditions were supported to see specialist healthcare professionals regularly.

People enjoyed living at the home and had developed positive relationships with staff. Staff treated people with respect and maintained their privacy and dignity. People were supported to maintain relationships with their friends and families and were able to invite guests whenever they wished. People were encouraged to be independent and were supported by staff to learn and develop new skills.

People and their relatives were actively encouraged to give their views about the service they received and the registered manager responded positively to feedback. Staff were creative in how they supported people to be actively involved in their care.

People received care that was extremely person centred. People had access to activities they enjoyed and had opportunities to enjoy an active social life. People were very involved in their local and wider community.

The registered manager provided good leadership for the service. They were experienced in their role and communicated well with people, relatives and staff. Staff felt valued and had access to support and advice from the registered manager if they needed it. Staff shared important information about people’s needs effectively. Team meetings were used to ensure staff provided consistent care that reflected good practice.

The registered manager’s quality monitoring checks ensured people received safe and effective care and support. Staff worked co-operatively with other professionals to ensure people received the care and treatment they needed. Records were well organised and up to date.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

The Just Homes service located at 19 Douglas Close provides personal care, and is registered to accommodate up to three people who are over the age of 65 who have a learning disability or a physical disability. The premises is a large bungalow with three bedrooms and communal areas.

The home had a registered manager in place. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are registered person; Registered persons have legal responsibilities for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated regulations about how the service is run.

People told us they felt safe living at the home because of the care staff provided. Their relatives told us the staff were caring and respectful and met their needs. Our observations confirmed this and we found there were systems in place to protect people from the risk of harm.

The provider had an effective recruitment system in place. We looked at records which evidenced staff had completed all relevant recruitment checks prior to starting work. There was enough staff with appropriate skills and experience to keep people safe.

Systems were in place to ensure that medicines were stored, administered and managed safely. Records we looked at showed staff had the required training, and there were enough experienced staff to manage medicines appropriately and to meet people’s needs safely.

Staff told us they were supported by the registered manager and had received the relevant training and information they needed to do their jobs well, and meet people’s care needs. Staff spoke positively about the support they received from the registered manager. Staff told us there was a good level of communication within the home, which helped them to be aware of any changes. People and their relatives told us they could speak with the staff to raise any concerns, and they knew how to raise complaints and concerns if they needed to.

The manager and staff understood their responsibilities under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the Deprivation of liberty safeguards (DoLS). There were clear records in place to show who could represent people and act in their best interest if complex decisions were needed about their care and treatment.

People and their relatives spoke positively about the home and the care people received, and we saw that staff supported people with all their nutritional needs. People were supported to have healthy diets and those that required personalised diets, had their needs monitored and had access to health care professionals who supported staff to meet their dietary needs.

Relatives told us the care people received was good. We found that people’s care records, reviews and risk assessments were up to date. Relatives told us they were included in their family members review meetings and were notified of any changes in their care needs.

Staff understood the needs of people and we observed that care was provided in a kind and caring manner. People and their relatives spoke positively about the home and the care they received.

Staff told us they received on-going training and we found they were appropriately trained and understood their responsibilities. We found that staff understood the values of the home, and respected people’s diverse needs. They told us they had received training to ensure the care provided to people was safe and met their needs. Staff told us they received regular supervision and support to assist them to deliver care that was relevant to meet people’ needs. We observed that people received support around their nutritional and personal needs.

We observed that people were encouraged to remain independent and were supported to access activities they enjoyed at home and in the community. People were supported to take part in their favourite interest, such as watching classic westerns, preparing meals, and going out to different places of interest.

The service was well led and the staff were supported and experienced to do their job well. The registered manager and senior staff monitored and reviewed the quality of care. There were systems in place to obtain people’s views about the service. These included residents and relatives meetings and questionnaires to identify, plan and make improvements to the service.

We spoke with two of the three people who used the service. We were unable to speak with the third person as staff had taken them on holiday. We also spoke with a health professional who was visiting the home on the day of the inspection. People were happy with the service they received. One person told us “I like living here” and another said “All of it is good.”

We found that people had given their consent to the care and treatment they received. When people had lacked the capacity to make a decision the provider had acted in accordance with legal requirements.

People had care plans that documented their views and wishes about how they wanted their care to be provided. People’s care plans had been regularly updated.

Medicines were managed safely and appropriately within the home.

We found that there was sufficient staffing to meet people’s needs. The provider monitored people’s care needs and had applied for additional support for one person.

There was a complaints system which had been brought to people’s attention.

The registered manager was not available on the day of the inspection so we were assisted by staff.

People who used the service told us that they were ‘very happy.’ We were told that you ‘couldn’t ask for nicer people,’ as carers.

We found that people who used the service were very happy and settled in their home. They were very involved in decisions relating to their care and how it was delivered. They were treated with dignity and respect by staff that were well supported in their role. The staff team was very settled and keen to provide a good quality of care to people. The management had systems in place to ensure that people were provided with safe care of a good standard that met their needs.

People were satisfied with the home’s management and had formed positive relationships with managers and staff. They said their home was always clean and tidy. They had been involved in planning and reviewing their support and said staff always respected their wishes. Staff encouraged and enabled them to be as independent as they could be. They were empowered to make choices and informed decisions in their daily lives and the running of their home. They were active members of the local Village Association. Through their involvement with this Association and a local Church they knew people in their neighbourhood and had a good community presence. They engaged in a wide range of activities and occupations including day centres, cinemas, shopping and a Friendship Group. They very much appreciated having their own rooms and said staff always respected their privacy and dignity.