This inspection took place on 2 November 2016 and was announced. At the last inspection on 18 October 2013 the service was found to be meeting the Regulations assessed.

Redlands Lane is part of a national organisation called Community Integrated Care which is a social care charity. It is situated in a domestic property rented from a local housing association. The property is converted into two flats.

Two people with complex learning disabilities used the service. Both people were supported on a one to one basis because of the complexity of their needs. We were unable to speak or observe care being provided because of the complexity of the service users’ needs and their lack of tolerance of people unknown to them.

There was 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 were safe at the service. Measures were in place to ensure people and staff were safe from harm. There were no concerns about the cleanliness of the home. However, bathroom areas were in need of refurbishment to make sure facilities remained fit for purpose. Staff supported people to manage their finances and this was recorded in their care plans.

Staff had been trained and knew how to report safeguarding concerns. They had received training in safeguarding adults.

A variety of risk assessments were in place for each person and risk management plans were in place to make sure people and those around them were supported to stay safe. Fire safety procedures were in place for the home and staff knew what they should do should there be a fire in the premises.

There were enough staff to make sure staffing levels were maintained. Staffing arrangements were flexible to meet people’s needs. There was one vacancy at the time of our visit. However, existing staff were managing to cover the shortfall until someone was recruited.

Safe recruitment practices were followed with appropriate background checks of prospective staff carried out.

Staff were knowledgeable and knew people well. They received induction training when first starting to work at the service and received regular supervision.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice

Meal times were flexible to meet each person’s needs. Drinks and food was available as required. People had regular access to healthcare services as appropriate.

People experienced care that was personal to them from a compassionate staff team. Staff treated people as individuals and encouraged them to do as much for themselves as possible. People’s privacy and dignity was respected.

People received the care and support they needed, were listened to and had their choices respected. A variety of communication techniques were used to ensure people were engaged with and involved in making decisions about the support they wanted. People’s needs were regularly assessed and reviewed. Activities were organised on an individual basis and were meaningful to them.

People were given the information to tell them how to complain. No complaints had been received about the service since the last inspection.

There was good leadership at the service. Quality audits were completed which supported the registered manager and senior managers to assess the overall quality of the care and support being provided.

We met both people who live at the home, three staff members and the registered manager. Redlands Lane provides a specialist service to two men with Autism. The home has been converted into two self contained flats so that the men can have their individual needs met in a person centred way.

We saw that people were supported according to their care plans and their individual needs and preferences. Staff communicated well with people and were knowledgeable about their needs and their individual interests and hobbies.

We saw that medicines were stored and administered safely and staff were trained and competent to do this.

The provider had robust recruitment procedures in place which were followed by the home. There was also a complaints procedure available and no complaints had been made to he service.

Due to the needs of people we had only limited discussions with people living at the service. We gathered information about people’s experiences at the service by observing staff interacting with people and by discussing the service with a relative of one of the people living at the service.

We observed staff to be skilled in communicating with people and in dealing with people’s behaviour. Staff were calm, polite and appropriate. Staff talked to people in a respectful manner and involved them in discussions about what they were doing.

People showed us their living areas and their personal belongings, which included televisions, wide screen cinema televisions and DVDs.

A relative told us they observed staff to treat people well and that their relative was “well cared for”. The relative said people living at the home benefitted from long standing staff members who knew people’s needs.

The relative told us people were involved in decisions about care and daily life. This included choices of where to go on holiday. The relative said the home “does a lot” to improve people’s quality of life. The relative said, “My relative is happy at the home.”

The relative we spoke to said they considered the home to be a safe place for their relative to live at.

The relative said staff had the right skills to provide appropriate care for people. This included reference to staff being skilled in dealing with people’s behaviour needs.