This inspection took place on 6 September 2018 and was unannounced.

Redwalls is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Redwalls is part of the Strode Park Foundation which is an independent voluntary organisation and registered charity. Redwalls is situated in a rural environment and is located in the village of Stodmarsh, close to Canterbury. The service has six bedrooms, is wheelchair accessible, and supports six young adults with physical and learning disabilities. At the time of the inspection there were six people living at the service.

The care service has been developed and designed in line with the values that underpin the Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These values include choice, promotion of independence and inclusion. People with learning disabilities and autism using the service can live as ordinary a life as any citizen.

At our last inspection on 28 October 2015 we rated the service ‘Good’. At this inspection on 6 September 2018 we found the evidence continued to support the rating of ‘Good’ and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

People told us that they felt safe living at the service. People were comfortable in the company of staff, with other people and in the environment. Staff understood the importance of keeping people safe.

The provider took appropriate action to manage accidents and safeguarding incidents. Staff members knew how to report any suspected abuse.

Staff were recruited safely and medicines were stored and administered in a timely manner.

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.

People's needs were assessed before moving to the service and staff had the right skills and training to support people. People were encouraged to eat healthy and balanced diets.

People were treated with dignity and respect by staff who were compassionate and caring. Staff treated people's private information confidentially. People were able to make decisions about how their care was provided, and were involved in reviews along with family members.

People received care that was personalised to their individual preferences. Staff knew people's needs and personalities well.

When people or their families had complaints or concerns they were encouraged to raise them. Management saw complaints as an opportunity to improve the service.

The registered provider, Strode Park Foundation, had a set of core values and the registered manager aligned those values with this service. The registered manager made sure these values were embedded into the culture of the service.

The registered manager had submitted notifications to CQC in an appropriate and timely manner in line with CQC guidelines.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

This inspection took place on 28 October 2015 and was unannounced.

Redwalls is part of the Strode Park Foundation which is an independent voluntary organisation and registered charity. Redwalls is situated in a rural environment and is located in the village of Stodmarsh, close to Canterbury. The service has six bedrooms, is wheelchair accessible, and supports six young adults with physical and learning disabilities. At the time of the inspection there were six people living at the service.

A registered manager was in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) 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 registered manager was present on the day of the inspection.

People told us that they felt safe living at the service. People looked comfortable with other people, staff and in the environment. Staff understood the importance of keeping people safe. Staff knew how to protect people from the risk of abuse.

Risks to people’s safety were identified, assessed and managed appropriately. People received their medicines safely and were protected against the risks associated with the unsafe use and management of medicines.

Accidents and incidents were recorded and analysed to reduce the risks of further events. This analysis was reviewed and used as a learning opportunity. Any lessons that could be learnt were shared with other services run by the provider.

Recruitment processes were in place to check that staff were of good character. There was a training programme in place to make sure staff had the skills and knowledge to carry out their roles effectively. Refresher training was provided regularly. People were consistently supported by sufficient numbers of staff.

People were provided with a choice of healthy food and drinks which ensured that their nutritional needs were met. People’s health was monitored and people were referred to and supported to see healthcare professionals when they needed to.

The registered manager and staff understood how the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005 was applied to ensure decisions made for people without capacity were only made in their best interests. However, we have made a recommendation regarding consent to the use of restraint, such as bed rails and wheelchair lap straps.

CQC monitors the operation of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) which applies to care homes. These safeguards protect the rights of people using services by ensuring that if there are any restrictions to their freedom and liberty, these have been agreed by the local authority as being required to protect the person from harm. DoLS applications had been made to the relevant supervisory body in line with guidance.

When possible, people and their relatives were involved with the planning of their care. People’s needs were assessed and care and support was planned and delivered in line with their individual care needs. Staff knew people well and understood changes in people’s demeanour by noticing subtle changes in their body language. Staff reacted quickly and calmly to reassure people when they became agitated. Staff were kind, caring and compassionate. People were encouraged and supported to set and achieve their own goals.

People were supported by staff to keep occupied and there was a range of meaningful social and educational activities available, on a one to one and a group basis, to reduce the risk of social isolation. People, their relatives and staff were encouraged to provide feedback to the provider to continuously improve the quality of the service delivered. People told us that they would talk to the staff if they had any concerns and felt that they would be listened to and acted on.

The registered manager coached and mentored staff through regular one to one supervision. The registered manager worked with the staff each day to maintain oversight of the service. Staff were clear about what was expected of them and their roles and responsibilities and felt supported by the registered manager.

Services that provide health and social care to people are required to inform CQC of important events that happen in the service. CQC check that appropriate action had been taken. The registered manager had submitted notifications to CQC in an appropriate and timely manner in line with CQC guidelines.

We used a number of different methods to help us understand the experiences of people who used the service. This was because some of the people using the service had complex needs which meant they were not all able to tell us their experiences. These included observing the interactions between people and staff. We saw people being spoken with and supported in a respectful and professional manner.

There were six people using the service at the time of our inspection. We observed to see how people reacted and responded to see if people indicated they were happy, bored, discontented, angry or sad. People said that they were happy at Redwalls. One person said, “I couldn’t ask for more”.

We saw that before people received any care or treatment they were asked for their consent and the provider acted in accordance with their wishes. One person commented, "I have personal care so we have to know each other well. I choose what to wear. Staff help me when I need it".

The provider had provided an environment that was suitably designed and adequately maintained. The home was clean and free from offensive odours.

People were cared for by qualified and experienced staff and there were enough staff to meet people’s needs.

Systems were in place to monitor the service that people received to ensure that the service was satisfactory and safe.

We spoke with people who use the service, staff members and the manager. There were six people using the service at the time of our visit.

We used a number of different methods to help us understand the experiences of people using the service. This was because the people had complex needs which meant they were not all able to tell us their experiences.

We spoke with some people and also observed the interactions between the people and the staff. We observed how people responded and reacted with the staff and we observed to see if people indicated they were happy, bored, discontented, angry or sad.

People told us or expressed that they felt safe, happy, and well looked after. We saw staff engaging with people in a caring, sensitive and positive manner. One person told us, “I have been really well supported living here. I eventually want to move into the community”.

People’s health needs were supported and the service worked with health professionals to maintain and improve people’s health and well being.

The staff we spoke to understood each person’s individual needs and how they liked to be supported. One person said, “I like my room. It’s a decent sized room and I have been able to personalise it”.

Staff told us that they felt supported in their roles and had regular meetings and individual supervision.

We saw evidence that there were quality assurance processes in place.