This was an unannounced inspection carried out on 08 June 2017. The service was previously inspected by the Care Quality Commission in November 2014 when it met all legal requirements and was rated Good.

Cherry Tree House provides residential care and accommodation for five adults with learning disabilities and mental health support needs. At the time of the inspection, there were five people living at the service.

The service had 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.

The provider had measures in place to ensure the environment was suitable and safe for people using the service. We have made recommendations about having more suitable and safe window restrictors in place and that full repairs are carried out, where necessary, on facilities that are regularly used by people.

Medicines were managed safely by staff who were trained and assessed as competent. People received their medicines at the required times and in the way they had been prescribed.

People were safe at the service and were cared for by staff who were knowledgeable about safeguarding people. Staff knew how to report any concerns of abuse.

Risks to people had been assessed and there was guidance in place on how to manage them safely. There were sufficient staff available to meet people's needs. Staff received training in relevant areas to ensure they had the skills to provide safe care.

There was a safe recruitment process and suitable staff were recruited to keep people safe. People were supported with their finances.

People's consent was sought where appropriate The provider followed the legal requirements outlined in Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) and was complaint with the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA).

Staff were caring, interacted well with people and respected their privacy. They promoted people’s independence.

People were supported by staff with appointments to meet with healthcare professionals. They were able to express their views and to make decisions about their care.

People were supported to have a nutritious and balanced diet. Their health and wellbeing was promoted and they were able to choose their meals.

People’s care plans were personalised and contained information about aspects of their life. People were encouraged to take part in household chores and leisure activities.

There was a complaints procedure in place. Staff were able to support people if they wished to complain. Relatives knew how to make a complaint and all complaints were investigated.

Staff, people and relatives told us the registered manager was supportive and approachable.

The provider had systems in place to evaluate and monitor the quality of the service. Annual reviews were conducted by senior managers. The management team demonstrated an understanding of their role and responsibilities.

We carried out an unannounced inspection on 7 November 2014. At our last inspection on 15 October 2013 there were no breaches of the regulations we inspected.

The service is registered to provide care for five people with a range of mental health conditions. The service is provided by Outlook care Limited. Cherry Tree House is a purpose built house and is located close to local shop amenities and transport links. On the day of our visit there were five people using the service. The recovery model was being used to encourage people to set new goals and develop relationships.

There was a registered manager in place, at the time of our visit. 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.

We found that people received individualised care in an environment that encouraged independence. People told us they were treated with respect and dignity by the staff and their personal tastes and preferences were respected.

People were safeguarded from the risk of abuse and cared for by staff who were knowledgeable about identifying and reporting abuse. Individual risk assessments and support plans were in place

to protect from people from harm within the home and the community. These included triggers and how to respond quickly to those risks.

People were cared for in a clean and hygienic environment. There were systems in place to ensure that people’s medicine was administered, stored, ordered and disposed of in an appropriate manner.

The service had policies and procedures in relation to the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards. Staff were aware of the procedures to be taken in order to obtain a DoLs authorisation.

There were enough staff on duty to meet the needs of the people. The recruitment and disciplinary procedures meant that staff were recruited safely and there were procedures in place to address poor practice if needed. Staff received appropriate training and development and had annual appraisals.

People told us they were happy and felt involved in the way in which the service was run. They gave examples of how they could speak to the manager directly if they had any concerns. Care plans were reviewed regularly or as and when people’s conditions changed.

There were systems in place to monitor the quality of care delivered. These included regular audits, customer satisfaction surveys, resident meetings and health and safety checks.

People we spoke with told us that they felt happy living at Cherry Tree House. One person told us “staff are excellent, they’ve really helped me. I’ve got no complaints”. Another person said “I can always turn to the staff, they are always nice”.

We found that people’s individual needs were being met. The service was suitably laid out and adequately maintained. Staff were adequately supported by the service to meet people’s needs and records were up to date and stored securely.

People told us that they were happy living at Cherry Tree House. We were told “it’s a nice place, the staff are nice too”. People told us they felt supported in tasks such as shopping, where staff accompanied people and helped them get taxi rides. We observed staff supporting people in everyday tasks such as benefits advice, assistance with laundry and food preparation. All of the interaction we observed between staff and people living at the service was helpful and respectful.

We also found that people’s needs were being met according to assessed need and medications were being managed safely and appropriately. Checks were carried out on staff before they started work at the service. Records kept by the service were accurate and stored securely. Quality checks where being carried out by the service and where they identified that changes needed to be made, they had been addressed.

The residents we spoke to were very happy with their experience at the home. They felt involved as much as they wanted to be, they liked the staff and the food and thought it was a nice place to live.