Pinetree’s is a residential care home that provides accommodation for up to 6 people who require personal care. At the time of our inspection there were 5 people using the service.

Pinetree’s is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

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

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.

People continued to receive care and support in a way that maintained their safety. People had plans of care that had been developed in partnership with them to guide staff in reducing the known risks to people. Appropriate action was taken when people were identified as being at risk of harm. People could be assured that they would receive their prescribed medicines and that staff had been subject to robust recruitment procedures. The service learnt from incidents and accidents and took action to minimise the chance of these occurring again within the home.

People received care from staff that had received the training, supervision and support that they needed to work effectively in their role. People were supported to maintain good nutrition and to access healthcare services. People’s needs were assessed prior to moving into the home to ensure that the service was able to support them appropriately. 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 supported this practice.

People received care from staff that knew them well and consistently treated people with respect and dignity. People were encouraged and supported to maintain contact with people that were important to them.

People were involved in developing their plans of care which enabled people to receive care and support in line with their preferences. People knew how to complain and could have confidence that their complaints would be managed appropriately. People were supported to be active members of the local community and to pursue their hobbies and interests.

There was a system of quality assurance in place overseen by the provider, area and registered manager which was successful at ensuring people consistently received good quality care and support.

This unannounced inspection took place on 6 & 9 November 2015. This residential care service is registered to provide accommodation and personal care support to people with learning disabilities and autistic spectrum disorder. At the time of our inspection, two people were living at the home and one other person was receiving respite care (short term support).

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 said 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 and risk management plans to protect people from identified risks and help to keep them safe but also enabling positive risk taking. 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.

Staff were highly skilled, plans were in place for new staff to complete the Care Certificate which is based on best practice. The provider’s mandatory training was updated annually.

People were actively involved in decisions 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 written in a person centred approach and focussed on empowering people; personal choice, ownership for decisions and people being in control of their life. They detailed how people wished to be supported and people were fully 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.

People had caring relationships with the staff that supported them. 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 worked alongside care staff 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.

The registered manager of the service was passionate about people receiving person centred care and people and staff being involved and included in decisions about the future.