About the service.

Redclyffe House is a residential home situated close to the centre of Gosport. The home provides support for up to 12 people with learning disabilities.

People's experience of using this service: People expressed they were very happy living at Redclyffe House. People told us they were encouraged to be independent and involved in developing their care and support plans. Staff understood people’s individual communication needs and worked in proactive ways to provide person-centred support.

Staff demonstrated knowledge of how to safeguard adults and promoted their human rights. Incidents were dealt with appropriately, which helped to keep people safe. People were supported with their health needs, this included being supported for learning disability annual health check. People were referred to other health and social care professionals when required and were supported with their emotional well-being. Staff we spoke with told us they felt supported by the provider.

People and relatives told us staff were caring, supportive and kind. We observed staff to treat people in a dignified manner and people told us they were given privacy within the home. Activities were arranged for people that suited their individual interests. Staff actively explored what other activities or community groups were available locally to ensure that people had opportunities to engage in their community.

Support plans were detailed and recorded what was important to the individual. People were involved in planning their own lives and agreeing future goals. Support plans were person-centred, meaning people were at the heart of how they wanted their care and support to be provided.

Staff told us they felt well trained and supported. The home had a consistent staff team who understood the needs of people well. We saw staff upheld and promoted people's rights relating to equality and diversity.

People, staff and professionals told us they thought the home was well led and spoke positively about the registered manager. The provider and registered manager carried out numerous audits to ensure the service was effective. Staff supported people to integrate into the local community and the culture of the service promoted the values of supporting people to be as independent as possible.

Why we inspected: This was a planned inspection based on the rating at the last inspection.

Rating at the last inspection: The service was rated as Good and the report was published on 2 December 2016.

Follow up: We will continue to monitor intelligence we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If any concerning information is received we may inspect sooner.

Redclyffe House is a 12 bedded care home without nursing providing 24 hour care for people living with a learning disability. The home is situated in Gosport Hampshire and at the time of our inspection there were 12 people living at the home

There was not 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 person currently managing the home had not yet registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). They have submitted an application applying for registration and this is currently being processed. We have referred to this person as ‘The manager’ throughout the report.

People told us they felt safe with staff. Relatives had no concerns about the safety of people. There were policies and procedures regarding the safeguarding of adults and staff knew what action to take if they thought anyone was at risk of potential harm.

Potential risks to people had been identified and assessed appropriately. There were sufficient numbers of staff to support people and safe recruitment practices were followed. Medicines were managed safely.

Staff had received training to enable them to carry out their duties and there were opportunities for them to study for additional qualifications. All staff training was up-to-date. Team meetings were held and staff had regular communication with each other at handover meetings which took place each day.

The CQC monitors the operation of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) which applies to care homes. We found the manager understood when an application should be made and how to submit one. We found the provider to be meeting the requirements of DoLS. The registered manager and staff were guided by the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA).

People were supported to have sufficient to eat and drink and to maintain a healthy diet. They had access to healthcare professionals. Staff supported people to ensure their healthcare needs were met. People were registered with a GP of their choice and the manager and staff arranged regular health checks with GPs, specialist healthcare professionals, dentists and opticians. Appropriate records were kept of any appointments with health care professionals.

Staff knew people well and positive, caring relationships had been developed. People were encouraged to express their views and these were communicated to staff in a variety of ways – verbally, through physical gestures or body language. People were involved in decisions about their care as much as they were able. Their privacy and dignity were respected and promoted. Staff understood how to care for people in a sensitive way.

Each person had a plan of care which provided the information staff needed to provide effective support to people. The manager and staff were in the process of updating all of the care plans at the home.

The manager operated an open door policy and welcomed feedback on any aspect of the service. There was a stable staff team who said that communication in the home was good and they always felt able to make suggestions. They confirmed management were open and approachable and staff understood their role and responsibilities. The registered manager demonstrated a ‘hands-on’ approach, knew people well and was committed to providing a high standard of care to people. They had implemented a range of audit processes to measure the overall quality of the service provided to people.

We carried out a routine inspection on 10 July 2014 and 17 July 2014 and there were 8 people living at the home. At the time of this inspection there was not a registered manager in post at this home. We met the new manager of the home who was being supported by the registered provider to complete their application for this role. During our inspection we spoke with the manager, the registered provider and five members of staff across the two days of our inspection. On the days of our visits most people who lived at the home were out at planned activities for the day. We observed staff interacting with and supporting four people.

Is the service safe?

People were cared for in an environment that was safe and provided care which they had agreed to. There were sufficient staff to support the needs of people and the manager told us new staff who had been recruited to the home would be able to work as soon as the appropriate checks had been completed. People were cared for by people who had the appropriate skills and experience to ensure their care and welfare.

CQC monitors the operation of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DOLS) which applies to care homes. The manager had a good understanding of DOLS, when an application should be made, and how to submit one.

Is the service effective?

We saw that people received care which was individualised and planned in line with their needs. People who lived at this home often had difficulties in communicating with others. We saw that staff knew people well and were responsive and patient with people when they were communicating. This meant that people were able to express themselves and were supported by people who understood their needs. From our observations and from speaking with staff we saw that they had a good understanding of the care needs of people.

Staff had received appropriate training to meet the needs of people living at the home.

Is the service caring?

People were supported by kind and attentive staff. We saw that staff ensured people were given time and the means to communicate their needs. Staff treated people as individuals and provided support which was in line with their agreed plan of care. People’s needs were supported in a calm, dignified and respectful way.

Is the service responsive?

People’s needs were assessed and reviewed regularly to ensure their needs were met. People and their representatives were encouraged to participate in care planning and review. People had access to activities which were important to them and had been supported to maintain relationships with their friends and relatives.

Is the service well-led?

Staff had a good understanding of the care needs of people who lived at the home and quality assurance processes were in place. Staff were clear about their roles and responsibilities and told us that management were supportive of their roles.