The inspection took place on 26 and 27 July 2017. We gave the provider 24 hours' notice to ensure someone would be in the office to facilitate the inspection. The service had not previously been inspected since first registering with the Commission on 03 July 2015.

Supported Living Solutions (North West) Limited is a small supported living service whose office is located on the outskirts of Westhoughton near Bolton, which provides the space necessary for the running of the company and management of the regulated activity and its employees, including facilitating staff meetings, training and supervision.

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.

The service had a robust recruitment process to help ensure people employed were suitable to work with vulnerable people.

Safeguarding policies and procedures were in place and the staff demonstrated a good understanding of safeguarding concerns and the process to follow if they suspected abuse.

Comprehensive risk assessments were in place and support plans devised to mitigate the risks. Care files contained a daily observation chart that identified the care interventions that staff had provided at each visit such as any nutritional or personal care support.

We saw that people or their representatives had been involved in planning the care provided.

Staff told us they were well supported and were inducted in to the service and received on-going training to support them to undertake their role.

The service was working within the legal requirements of the Mental Capacity Act (2005) (MCA).

The relative of the person who used the service told us they valued how staff supported their family member. They said staff were kind and caring and paid particular attention to detail which reassured them that their family member was being well cared for.

The registered manager covered care shifts to ensure they maintained oversight regarding the care provided.

The relatives of the person who used the service were fully involved with decisions about [their relative’s] care and it was evident from care records that the person’s personal preferences were taken into account.

There was a complaints policy in place and although at the time of the inspection there had not been any complaints received, there were systems in place to track complaints.

We received positive feedback about the registered manager. The relative of the person who used the service and staff, stated the service was managed well.

The registered manager had an infrastructure in place to seek the views of people who used the service and their relatives by undertaking reviews of care delivery.