This inspection visit took place on 23 August 2017 and was announced.

Rydal Mount is a small bungalow set in its own ground in a residential area close to the centre of Wigton. It provides support for up to four people with learning disabilities. Each person has their own bedroom and shares communal facilities.

At the time of our inspection two people lived at Rydal Mount. They had lived together for several years.

At the last comprehensive inspection on 10th July 2015 the service was rated overall as good. At this inspection we found the service remained good.

There was a registered manager in place but they were not available on the day we inspected. 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 who used this service were not easily able to converse with us but we were able to observe how they were supported and have limited conversations with one person. They indicated they were happy and safe at Rydal Mount.

There were procedures in place to protect people from abuse and unsafe care. We saw risk assessments were in place which provided guidance for staff. This minimised risks to people.

There were enough staff to support people with personal care and social and leisure activities. They were supported to develop their skills and knowledge to assist them to carry out their role and to provide safe care and support in the way people wanted.

Medicines were managed safely. Medicines were stored securely, administered as prescribed and disposed of appropriately.

Staff understood the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act (2005) and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS).

People indicated they were happy with the variety and choice of meals available to them.

Care plans were personalised and informative. They described how people wished to be supported and their needs and wishes. People who received support or where appropriate their relatives were involved in making decisions about their care. Their consent and agreement were sought before providing care.

People who lived at Rydal Mount or their relatives knew how to raise a concern or to make a complaint. The complaints procedure was available and people indicated they could let staff know if they were not happy about something.

Senior staff monitored the support staff provided to people. Audits of care and surveys of the views of people and their families were carried out regularly.

This inspection took place on the 10th July 2015 and was unannounced.

Rydal Mount is located in the town of Wigton. The service provides support for up to four people with a learning disability who have complex needs some of whom have limited verbal communication.

The service had a registered manager. 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 had sufficient staff meet people’s needs in a timely manner.

The staff knew how to identify abuse and protect people from it.

The service had carried out risk assessments to ensure that they identified potential hazards and protected people from harm.

Medicines were ordered, stored, administered and disposed of correctly.

Staff had been trained to an appropriate standard and had undertaken additional training in order to meet the changing needs of people who used the service.

People were supported to take a good diet that was based on an assessment of their nutritional needs.

Staff had developed caring relationships with people who used the service.

People received appropriate support to enable them to access and integrate with the local community.

Support plans were based on thorough assessments and were written using a person centred approach.

The registered manager provided good leadership. The provider had systems in place to ensure the delivery of good quality care.

We considered all the evidence we had gathered under the outcomes we inspected. We used the information to answer the five questions we always ask;

• Is the service caring?

• Is the service responsive?

• Is the service safe?

• Is the service effective?

• Is the service well led?

This is a summary of what we found:

Is the service safe?

We found that staff were aware of what constituted abuse and how to report their concerns. The service regularly reported any concerns or incidents to the correct authorities. People's needs were thoroughly assessed and any risks identified were well managed.

Is the service effective?

People's legal right to be supported in making their own decisions had been protected because the staff had worked hard to ensure that guidance relating to the Mental Capacity Act had been followed. Staff worked in conjunction with other health and social care providers to ensure people's needs were met quickly and appropriately.

Is the service caring?

We observed that people were cared for by warm and friendly staff who were knowledgeable about the people they cared for. People who we spoke with confirmed that they liked living at Rydal Mount and were satisfied with the service they received. Support plans were well written, detailed and based on a thorough assessment of people's needs.

Is the service responsive?

Records confirmed that people’s preferences, interests, aspirations and diverse needs had been recorded and care and support had been provided in accordance with people’s wishes. People had access to activities that 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 ethos of the service and quality assurance processes were in place. People who used the service and staff were listened to and their ideas and suggestions were taken into account. The manager provided clear leadership and was aware of areas that required improvement.

People told us that they liked living at Rydal Mount and that they were satisfied with the care they received. One person said, "I like it!" another said "Yes I like it too!"

We found that people experienced care, treatment and support that met their needs and were protected from the risk of abuse, because the provider had taken reasonable steps to identify the possibility of abuse and prevent abuse from happening. The provider had an effective system to regularly assess and monitor the quality of service that people received and there was an effective complaints system. However we noted that appraisals and supervision were not occurring regularly and were not up to date.

We used a number of different methods to help us understand the experiences of people using the service. People told us that they were satisfied with the service they received. We saw a clean and tidy home and the people that lived there were welcoming and happy. The staff were knowledgeable about the people they supported and had good relationships with them.