Oak House provides accommodation and personal care for up to four people who may have a learning disability, autistic spectrum disorder, physical disability and/or sensory impairment. At the time of our inspection there were three people living in the home. The service also offers respite accommodation which can be used by one additional person. Respite care offers short residential breaks to people.

The inspection took place on 22 May 2017 and was unannounced. This was the first inspection of this provider who was registered with us in September 2016.

There was a registered manager in post and present during the 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 felt safe and they were protected from the risk of abuse by staff who had been trained and knew how to escalate concerns. Risks to people’s safety had been identified and staff knew how to support people safely. New staff were recruited safely and there was enough staff to support people during both day and night. People had their medicines as they had been prescribed.

Staff were able to meet people’s individual needs because they had received training and support they needed. Staff knew how to uphold people’s rights and obtain their consent to the care offered. People were fully involved in food shopping and the planning of their meals. People were actively supported to stay healthy and saw health professionals to support their needs.

People were treated with kindness and compassion. We saw that care was inclusive and people were enabled and encouraged to make decisions about how their care was planned and delivered. People described positive relations with staff.

People were encouraged and were supported to engage in social and recreational activities of their choice and supported to maintain employment. People knew how to raise any concerns they might have and were confident these would be listened to.

People told us that they were very happy with the quality of the service and that their views were listened to. We saw that the registered manager and staff created an inclusive culture within which people were respected and valued. People described both the registered manager and provider as friendly and approachable and they were complimentary about how the home was run. Systems were in place to monitor the standard and quality of the service.