This inspection took place on the 24, 25 and 26 August 2016 and was announced. The provider was given 48 hours’ notice of the inspection because we needed to ensure that somebody would be available to meet us in their offices.

Royal Mencap Society - Unit 7 Sundon Business Park (Luton DC) is a domiciliary care service which provides personal care and support to people living in their own homes, within shared supported living premises. The majority of people have learning disabilities and/or autistic spectrum disorders.

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 safeguarded from avoidable risk of harm and staff understood the process to follow to report concerns regarding people’s safety. There were risk assessments in place which detailed how people could be supported safely. Protocols and guidelines were in place to support staff to develop consistent approaches to the management of behaviour which might have impacted negatively upon others. People’s care plans were person-centred and based on established and stated outcomes for people. These were subject to regular review with involvement from people and their relatives where possible.

People’s healthcare needs were identified and met by the service, and good links had been formed with external healthcare agencies. If people required support with eating and drinking then their likes/dislikes and dietary needs were listed in their care plans. People were supported to explore their hobbies, interests and activities, and work towards objectives which promoted learning and independence. They were treated with dignity and respect and had opportunities to have their opinions and views heard. People gave their consent to receiving care and support at the service.

Staff received a variety of training to enable them to carry out their duties effectively and completed a thorough induction programme when they first joined the service. Staff understood the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and associated Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) and these were applied correctly in practice. The recruitment processes used to employ new staff were safe and ensured that staff employed had the skills, character and experience to meet people’s needs. There were enough staff to keep people safe and protocols in place in case of severe shortages or staffing issues. Team meetings were held both centrally for the management team and within people’s individual houses.

Staff were not always supported through a program of supervision and appraisal and the frequency of these varied between the different supported living premises.

There was a robust quality monitoring system in place for identifying improvements that needed to be made across the service. People, staff and relatives were positive about the management at all levels and felt supported to develop and contribute to the service.

This inspection took place on 20 January 2015. We gave the provider 48 hours’ notice of the inspection because the manager is often out of the office supporting staff or providing care. We therefore needed to be sure that they would be in.

Royal Mencap Society 7 Sundon Business Park provides support and personal care services to people in their homes. At the time of our inspection 43 people were receiving a support or personal care service.

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.

There were appropriate numbers of staff employed and allocated to meet people’s needs and provide a flexible service. People were kept safe and were able to speak to staff if they had any concerns.

Staff received regular training and supervision, they were knowledgeable about their roles and responsibilities and had the skills, knowledge and experience required to support people well. Staff were able to provide a personalised service and build working relationships with the people they supported.

Support plans were in place which provided details on how to support people. People who used the service were involved in making decisions about their care and support.

People were supported to eat and drink. Staff supported people to attend healthcare appointments and liaised with other healthcare professionals.

The manager was accessible and approachable. Staff, people who used the service and relatives felt able to speak with the manager and provided feedback on the service. The provider carried out regular spot checks on the service being provided and staff performance.

We visited the offices for the Royal Mencap Society, we saw that they had detailed records of people’s care plans at the office and that they were in continuous contact with the staff that provided the care to people. People we spoke with told us that the care provided was 'good ' and that staff were able to 'support people through prompting and observing'. We were told that people were always involved in reviewing and updating support plans and documentation.

When we inspected Royal Mencap Society - Unit 7 Sundon Business Park (Luton DC) on 26 November 2012, they were providing care and support to approximately 24 people with learning disabilities, who lived in Bedfordshire. We looked at the care files for four people they supported and we spoke with seven people who used the service. We found people were very happy with the care and support they received. One person said "The staff always treat us well." Another said "They always help me if I have a problem".

We noted from the four care files we looked at, that people were offered support at a level which encouraged independence and ensured their individual needs were met. People told us they felt safe and all the staff were all kind and helpful. One person told us, "I like everyone, they look after me well here".

We could see from records that people were encouraged to be involved in planning and making decisions about their care and support. People also told us they met with their 'key worker' each month and they could discuss anything they wanted to. The were confident that if they had any problems the staff would listen to them, and help them resolve any issues they had.

The provider had systems in place to ensure people were involved in the quality monitoring processes for this service. People were encouraged to share their views and opinions to help improve the standard of care provision.

During our visit on 09 February 2012, people talked to us about some of the ways that they were involved in the running of the service and within their local community. For example people told us that they took responsibility for their own shopping, cooking and medication. They also said that they were able to travel independently to places of work or social activities.

People that we spoke with told us they were happy with the support they received. They knew who to speak to if they had any concerns.

People told us that they were regularly asked for feedback about the service they were receiving, and felt confident enough to do so.