The inspection took place on 20 October 2016 and was unannounced.

New Generation Care Limited - 15 Manor Crescent provides accommodation and personal care for up to four people. There were four people living at the service at the time of our inspection. New Generation Care Limited specialises in providing residential support for adults with learning disability, autism and communication difficulties, who may also have physical disability and/or challenging behaviour.

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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People were safe because there were enough staff available to meet their needs. The provider made appropriate checks on staff before they started work, which helped to ensure only suitable applicants were employed. Staff understood safeguarding procedures and were aware of the provider’s whistle-blowing policy.

Risks to people had been assessed and action had been taken to reduce these risks. There were plans in place to ensure that people would continue to receive their care in the event of an emergency. Health and safety checks were carried out regularly. The provider had considered how the service could be made as safe as possible for people and developed an action plan where potential improvements had been identified.

Although there were recording errors on the day of our inspection, people’s medicines were managed safely overall. Medicines were stored securely and there were appropriate arrangements for the ordering and disposal of medicines. Each person had an individual medicines profile that contained information about the medicines they took. Medicines audits were carried out regularly as part of the provider’s quality monitoring process.

People were supported by staff that had the skills and experience needed to provide effective care. Staff had induction training when they started work and ongoing refresher training in core areas. They had access to regular supervision, which provided opportunities to discuss their performance and training needs.

Staff knew the needs of the people they supported and provided care in a consistent way. Staff shared information effectively, which meant that any changes in people’s needs were responded to appropriately. People were supported to stay healthy and to obtain medical treatment if they needed it. Staff monitored people’s healthcare needs and took appropriate action if they became unwell.

People were receiving their care in line with the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). Staff had attended training in the MCA and DoLS and understood the importance of consent. People and their families were involved in decisions about their care and treatment and these decisions were respected.

People were supported to have a balanced diet and to eat according to their preferences. People told us they enjoyed the food provided and that they were involved in choosing what they ate. They said they enjoyed eating out in pubs and restaurants and did this regularly.

People were supported by kind and caring staff. People had positive relationships with the staff who supported them. Relatives said staff were kind and friendly and knew their family members well. People told us that staff treated them with respect. Staff recognised the importance of encouraging people to develop their independence and supported people in a way that promoted this. People were encouraged to be involved in planning their own care and support.

People’s needs had been assessed before they moved in to ensure that staff could provide the care they needed. A care plan had been developed for each person, with their involv

During our inspection we had one to one discussions with one person who used the service and informal discussions with two other people. We spoke with the manager, deputy manager, and one member of staff. We undertook a telephone survey with one relative. We also had a telephone discussion with the service manager after our visit to the service.

People who used the service told us that staff asked them for their permission before they helped them with their care needs. For example, one person told us, “Staff always asked me if they could help to me get ready for bed.”

Two people who used the service went through their care plans with us. They told us, “We always attend our annual reviews but we do not look at them after that.” They knew what was in their care plan.

People told us they were happy and safe living the service. They told us they knew who to talk to if they felt threatened or had been mistreated.

People told us that there were usually enough staff on duty at the service, but there had been some weekends when there had just been two members of staff on duty. They told us that they did lots of activities during the week with help from staff.

On the day of the inspection we spoke to three of the four people who used the service.

People who used the service told us that they made choices every day that included choosing their bedtimes, the food they wanted to eat and the clothes they wanted to wear. They told us that they could do the activities they choose to. One person told us, “We do activities every day, and I like drawing.” Another person told us, “I like line dancing and we have done that this morning.” People we spoke to were complimentary about the staff and the care, treatment and support they received from staff at the service. They told us that staff looked after them well and that they were happy living at the home. They particularly enjoyed the activities they do. One person told us, “I like cooking on Thursdays and going to the cinema.” All the people we spoke to told us that they felt safe living at the service.

People who used the service told us that they make choices every day. They could decide what activities they wanted to do, the meals they wished to eat and the clothes they wished to wear. They told us that they felt safe living at the home. People who used the service told us that they were aware of the care plans, and they had signed them. They told us that staff had talked to them about their care plans.

They told us that they felt safe living at the home and that staff helped them a lot. They stated that they would talk to the manager if they felt unsafe.

We were told that there was always enough staff at the home, and that they always helped people who used the service. They told us that staff looked after them well.

They told us that staff listened to what they had to say, and they always acted on what they had asked. They stated that staff called them by their names and they would do activities with them.