The inspection took place on 5 and 7 December 2016 and the first day was unannounced. The service was first registered with us on 22 January 2016. This was their first inspection to determine if the home was meeting the required standards.

The registered manager had been in post at the service since it opened in January 2016. 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 service provides accommodation and personal care, for up to seven adults. They specialise in care for people who may have dementia, learning disabilities or autistic spectrum disorder, mental health needs, physical disabilities or sensory impairments. Seven people were living at the home at the time of our inspection. The home was new and had been purpose built by the provider.

Care was person centred and was planned to meet people’s individual needs, abilities and preferences to improve the quality of their lives. Health professionals commented on the high standard of care provided. People were supported to participate in activities that were meaningful to them. People were encouraged to be involved in planning how they were cared for and supported. Staff used different methods to obtain feedback from people, which were tailored to meet people’s individual needs.

People told us they felt safe using the service and staff understood how to protect people from abuse. There were processes to minimise risks associated with people’s care to keep them safe. This included the completion of risk assessments to identify and manage risks to people’s health and well-being and checks on staff to ensure their suitability to work with people who lived at the home. People's medicines were managed and administered safely.

There were enough suitably trained staff to deliver care and support to people. Staff received an induction to the home and a programme of training to support them in meeting people’s needs effectively. Staff were encouraged to develop their skills and knowledge to help improve people's experience of care.

The registered manager understood their responsibility to comply with the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). People who were assessed as not having the capacity had families, legal representatives and healthcare professionals involved in their care so that decisions could be made in their best interests. Staff ensured people received good nutrition and hydration. People received ongoing healthcare support from a range of external healthcare professionals.

People told us staff were kind and caring and had the right skills and experience to provide the care and support they required. Staff treated people in a way that respected their dignity and promoted their independence. People knew how to complain and were able to share their views and opinions about the service they received.

Staff felt supported and there was good communication between people. People were encouraged to share ideas to make improvements to the service. There were checks in place to ensure good standards of care were maintained.