At the last comprehensive inspection on 22 and 26 January 2016, the service was rated Good.

At this announced inspection on 21 and 23 May 2018, we found the service remained 'Good'.

This service provides care and support to people living in eight supported living settings so that they can live as independently as possible. People’s care and housing are provided under separate contractual agreements. CQC does not regulate premises used for supported living; this inspection looked at people’s personal care and support.

Northamptonshire Domiciliary Care Agency provides personal care to people living in their own homes or shared accommodation when they are unable to manage their own care. They provide support with personal care, food preparation, managing finances and enabling people to undertake activities in the local community.

The care service has been developed and designed in line with the values that underpin the Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These values include choice, promotion of independence and inclusion. People with learning disabilities and autism using the service can live as ordinary a life as any citizen.

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 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

Staff had a good understanding of what abuse was and the safeguarding procedures that should be followed to report it. People had risk assessments in place to cover any risks that were present within their lives, but also enable them to be as independent as possible. All the staff we spoke with were confident that any concerns they raised would be followed up appropriately by their manager. Staffing levels were sufficient to meet people's current needs. The staff recruitment procedures ensured that appropriate pre-employment checks were completed to ensure only suitable staff worked at the service.

Medicines were managed safely. The processes in place ensured that the administration and handling of medicines was suitable for the people who used the service. Staff were trained in infection control, had the appropriate personal protective equipment to perform their roles safely. There were arrangements in place for the service to make sure that action was taken and lessons learned when things went wrong, to improve safety across the service

People’s needs and choices were assessed and their care provided in line with up to date guidance and best practice. They received care from staff that had received training and support to carry out their roles. Staff were well supported by the registered manager and had one to one supervisions and observations of their practice.

People were encouraged to shop for, prepare and cook their own meals. Staff supported them to make healthy choices to maintain their health and well-being. Staff supported people to book and attend appointments with healthcare professionals, and supported them to maintain a healthy lifestyle. The service worked with other organisations to ensure that people received coordinated and person-centred care and support.

People's consent was gained before any care was provided and the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 were met. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff support them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service support this practice

Staff treated people with kindness, dignity and respect and spent time getting to know them and their specific needs and preferences. People were happy with the way that staff provided their care and support. People were encouraged to make decisions about how their care was provided.

People were listened to, t

This inspection took place on the 22 and 26 January 2016 and was announced. The service is registered to provide personal care to people living in their own homes or shared accommodation when they are unable to manage their own care. At the time of the inspection there were 18 people using the service.

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 who could verbally communicate told us that they felt safe in their own home and we observed people to be happy and relaxed around the staff that supported them. 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 there was 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 in their home.

Support plans 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.

Care plans were in place detailing how people wished to be supported and people were involved in making decisions about their support. People participated in a range of activities both in their own 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 supported. Complaints were appropriately investigated and action was taken to make improvements to the service when this was found to be necessary. The management was approachable and had systems in place 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.

One of the persons who used the service said " I like Disneyland they take me." We asked if they were happy they replied "Yes."

We spoke with a relative who said " Mencap provide an excellent service, I have never had any reason to complain. They always include me in any changes to his care plan or medication. They take him on holiday, in the past he has been to the USA. He has had changes of carers over the years but they must all be from the same tree, they are all very good."

All the staff we spoke with told us leadership was good and they felt supported by their managers. They made comments such as, "Mencap are very good employers, I am very happy working for them", "I find it a rewarding vocation, I am not bothered about working late or going in on my day off", and finally " I feel supported by my manager at Mencap, I love working for them."

We found Royal Mencap Society Northamptonshire Domiciliary Care Agency to be compliant against the regulations we inspected against.