Next Steps Northamptonshire provides supported living to 7 people living in Northamptonshire. The service specialises in supporting people with a learning disability.

At the last inspection in September 2015, the service was rated Good. At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

People continued to receive safe care and support. Staff were knowledgeable about the risks to people and effective plans of care had been developed to guide staff in mitigating people’s known risks. People could be assured that sufficient numbers of staff were available to provide their care and that they would receive their prescribed medicines safely.

People were supported by staff that knew them well and had received the support, supervision and training that they needed to provide effective care. People were supported to maintain adequate nutrition and staff promptly referred people to medical professionals when required.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

People were treated with dignity and respect and could be assured that they would be supported to pursue their interests and hobbies. Staff were committed to providing care according to people’s individual preferences.

There was a strong system of quality assurance overseen by a visible and supportive management team. People felt able to approach the management team and they actively promoted a person centred culture that was focussed upon people’s strengths.

We did not speak with people who used the service because they were unable to communicate verbally, but we spoke with relatives of all of the people who received personal care. Relatives told us that they had been involved in decisions about their family member's care and that they were confident that the needs of family members had been met. Our review of documentation confirmed that people who used the service and their relatives had been involved in decisions about care. Our review of records showed that care had been planned and delivered to meet people's individual needs.

One relative's comments to us were representative of what all relatives we spoke with told us, "I've been involved in the support plan. The service has been very good.They listen. The staff are friendly, they actually care. My relative has never been happier."

We found from listening to what relatives told us, talking with staff and reviewing records that people had been supported to achieve personal goals. One relative told us. "They have come on a lot because they have been taught new things to do." Another relative told us, "They get to do things they have never experienced before"; and another told us, "Family members can't believe how well they have come on."

All relatives we spoke with told us that they knew how they could raise any concerns and that they were confident they would be listened to.

We spoke with relatives of people who used the service. Relatives told us that that they were pleased with the quality of care that care workers had provided. Relatives told us that the service had organised teams of workers who had become familiar with the needs of the people they supported. One relative told us, "The carers are very good, patient and understanding" and that the care arrangements "were running like clockwork." Another relative told us, "I'm more than satisfied with the quality of the care provided. It's absolutely brilliant. Any concerns I've had have been dealt with right away." The final relative we spoke with told us, "I can't praise the service enough. The carers have been very committed and I could see that they enjoyed doing what they did. The carers have supported my son to enjoy activities in the community."

We found that what relatives had told us about the service was corroborated by documentation that we reviewed and through our discussion with the owner and the registered manager. The service was meeting the essential standards of quality and safety.

This unannounced inspection took place on 23 & 24 July 2015. This domiciliary care service is registered to provide personal care support to people living in their own homes. At the time of the inspection the service supported 9 people.

There was a registered manager in post at the time of our inspection. 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 told us that they felt safe in their own home. Staff understood the need to protect people from harm and abuse and knew what action they should take if they had any concerns. Staffing levels ensured that people received the support they required at the times they needed. We observed that on the day of our inspection there were sufficient staff to meet the needs of the people they were supporting. The recruitment practice protected people from being cared for by staff that were unsuitable to work at the home.

Care records contained risk assessments to protect people from identified risks and help to keep them safe. They gave information for staff on the identified risk and informed staff on the measures to take to minimise any risks.

People were supported to take their medicines as prescribed. Records showed that medicines were obtained, stored, administered and disposed of safely. People were supported to maintain good health and had access to healthcare services when needed.

People were actively involved in decision about their care and support needs There were formal systems in place to assess people’s capacity for decision making under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). People felt safe and there were clear lines of reporting safeguarding concerns to appropriate agencies and staff were knowledgeable about safeguarding adults.

Care plans were in place detailing how people wished to be supported and people were involved in making decisions about their care. People participated in a range of activities both in the home and in the community and received the support they needed to help them do this. People were able to choose where they spent their time and what they did.

Staff had good relationships with the people who they cared for. Complaints were appropriately investigated and action was taken to make improvements to the service when this was found to be necessary. The manager was accessible and made monthly visits to people using the service to monitor the quality of the service provided. Staff and people were confident that issues would be addressed and that any concerns they had would be listened to.