We inspected Station Villa on the17 August 2017, the inspection was unannounced. Station Villa is one of a number of services in Cornwall which are run by the provider, Keelex 176 Limited. Station Villa provides accommodation for up to 16 people who have a learning disability. At the time of the inspection thirteen people were living at the service.

At the last inspection, in September 2016, the service was rated Good. At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

A registered manager had recently been appointed to the company who oversaw the day to day operations of Station Villa plus its other residential services. People, relatives and staff spoke very highly of the changes that the new manager had put in place at Station Villa, and the high level of support that they felt they received from them. One person said “I like her, it’s so much better here now” and a member of staff said “She has opened my eyes to a new way of working. It is more person centred. They [people we support] really are at the centre in everything we now do.”

The registered manager had a clear vision for the service and encouraged people, relatives and staff to express their views and opinions. The manager led by example and expected all the staff to carry out their role to the same standard.

People told us they felt safe living at Station Villa and with the staff who supported them. People told us, “I like it here” and “I am really happy.” Relatives told us they were, “Very happy” with the care provided and the support they received from staff and the management team of Station Villa.

We observed people had good relationships with staff and staff interacted with people in a kind and respectful manner. People told us they felt staff were “great” and “helpful.” The staff team had developed caring and supportive relationships with people using the service. A relative commented “[person’s name] is treated kindly and [their] dignity is respected” and that staff “Go that extra mile.” People were supported to maintain contact with friends and family and had the opportunity to be involved in decisions about their care and the running of the service.

Care and support was provided by a consistent staff team, who knew people well and understood their needs. People had dedicated key workers who were responsible for updating care plans and leading on supporting people. These were chosen according to their experience and relationship with the person concerned.

A visiting health and social care professional was positive about the care and support that people received at Station Villa. They told us that it was “Very person centred, the best it’s been.” They also commented that the staff team were encouraging people to develop their daily living skills so that people could become more independent and be proud of their own skills and abilities.

People told us that staff were very supportive and were fully involved in every aspect of their life, both in Station Villa and in the community. People told us they had set goals of things that they would like to achieve. Some examples were; going to the shop unsupported, undertaking educational courses, attending a music concert in London, or going on holiday. People told us, and showed us photographs of when they had achieved some of these goals and were proud of their accomplishments. This showed that people were fully involved in setting their own goals, and were supported to, where possible, work towards achieving them.

There were sufficient numbers of suitably qualified staff on duty and staffing levels were adjusted to meet people’s changing needs and wishes. Staff completed a thorough recruitment process to ensure they had the appropriate skills and knowledge. Staff knew how to recognise and report the signs of abuse.

Staff were supported through a system of induction and training. Staff told us the training was thorough and gave them confidence to carry out their role effectively. New employ

This was an unannounced inspection, carried out on 12 May 2015. There was a registered manager in post at the time of the inspection. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service and has the legal responsibility for meeting the requirements of the law; as does the provider.

Station Villa provides accommodation for up to 16 people living with a learning disability. The service uses a detached house arranged over two floors and has five separate chalet rooms in the external grounds. There were 16 people living at the service at the time of our inspection.

People told us they felt safe. Comments included; “I am happy here. Station Villa is a nice place to live and there are lots of staff who can help us out.” Another person said, “I feel safe and well looked after.” We walked around the service and saw it was comfortable and personalised to reflect people’s individual tastes.

People were treated with kindness, compassion and respect. Staff took time to speak with the people they were supporting. We saw many positive interactions and people enjoyed talking to staff. Comments included; “The staff are lovely” and “I love it here. I really like my key worker, she is lovely”. Staff were trained and competent to provide the support individuals required.

Where people did not have the capacity to make certain decisions, the service acted in accordance with legal requirements under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards.

People had a choice of meals, snacks and drinks, which they told us they enjoyed. People had been included in planning menus and their feedback about the meals in the service had been listened to and acted on. People were actively involved in meal preparation and chose to sit together for lunch in the dining area. Comments included; “The food is great. I like it and I choose what I like”.

Visitors were always made welcome and were able to visit at any time. People were able to see their visitors in lounge areas or in private. People knew how to complain and told us they would be happy to speak with the registered manager if they had any concerns.

People told us they and their families were included in planning and agreeing to the care provided at the service. People had individual support plans, detailing the support they needed and how they wanted this to be provided. A person told us, “I meet with my key worker and talk about my plan regularly”.

Staff knew the people they were supporting and the choices they had made about their care and their lives. People were supported to maintain their independence and control over their lives.

We carried out the inspection as part of our planned schedule of inspections. We spoke with three people who use the service, three relatives and eight members of staff. We looked at five care records of people who use the service.

Care plans including daily records were detailed, people were involved in their care planning. Staff received training and support which enabled them to meet the needs of people that lived in the home. We observed interactions between staff and people who use the service. Staff spoke with people in a respectful and caring manner. People were relaxed, their views were listened to; they clearly felt comfortable with staff who supported them.

People told us that if they were unhappy with something, they would talk with staff or the manager. Staff told us that the manager was very approachable and training opportunities were good.

We saw visiting professionals comments in the comments book, 'Station Villa has been very positive, welcoming and helpful...it is a very supportive environment'. Another visitor wrote, 'Congratulations for support and encouragement given, very person centred'.

People lived in a safe, clean and pleasant environment. Relatives told us, "We are very happy with the care and support given, staff are wonderful and always helpful".

One person told us, "It's lovely living here, the staff and the manager are nice. If you don't like what's on the menu you can ask for something different".

We spoke with four people who used the service. People thought the staff were kind and helpful. We observed the staff talking with people who used the service and saw they were respectful, friendly and supportive to them. The atmosphere in the home was warm and welcoming. We saw people were comfortable with each other and with staff at Station Villa.

Care records showed people made decisions for themselves and were able to consent or decline care and treatment. We found people’s privacy, dignity and independence were respected and people’s views and experiences were taken into account in the way the service was provided and delivered in relation to their care. We saw people’s wishes were respected. We observed people moving around the home without restriction.

Care plans and associated documentation were detailed, informative and directed and guided staff of the action they needed to take in order to meet people’s assessed care needs. People's records were personalised and provided clear information about the person’s wishes and abilities. People experienced care, treatment and support that met their needs and protected their rights.

People who used the service were protected from the risk of abuse.

People lived in a safe, clean pleasant and homely environment.