Taunton House provides personal care and accommodation for adults with a mental health condition. They provide this service to a maximum of five people. At the time of our unannounced inspection on the 6 June 2017 five people were living in Taunton House.

The provider was in day to day charge of the home. As the registered person they had legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People could not praise the service enough and consistently told us about the excellent care they received at Taunton House. People and staff described the service as “A home from home”.

People received exceptionally person centred and individualised care from staff who knew each person well, about their life and what mattered to them. The people living at the home experienced a level of care and support that promoted their health and wellbeing and enhanced their quality of life. Staff showed respect to people and spoke with them in a kind and caring manner.

The provider and staff worked hard to meet the social, emotional and physical needs of the people they cared for. People’s lives were enhanced by being encouraged and aided to take part in activities they enjoyed and that were meaningful to them. The provider supported people to be as independent as they could be, to be in employment and to remain a part of the community.

People were supported by enough staff who were skilled and knowledgeable in caring for people with mental health conditions. People said that they felt safe in the service. Staff were clear about their safeguarding responsibilities and knew how to recognise signs of potential abuse and how to report it.

People were supported by staff who had received an induction into the home and appropriate training, professional development and supervision to enable them to meet people’s individual needs. There were enough staff to meet people’s needs and to enable them to engage with people in a relaxed and unhurried manner.

There were suitable systems in place to ensure the safe storage and administration of medicines. Medicines were administered by staff who had received appropriate training and assessments. People were supported and encouraged to see healthcare professionals, such as chiropodists, opticians, GPs and dentists when necessary.

The quality of the care and support provided in the home was closely monitored by the provider. People felt involved in the way their care was planned and delivered. They were able to provide feedback on the service they received and their concerns were addressed.

The provider understood the responsibilities of their role. Staff were aware of the provider’s vision and values, how they related to their work and spoke positively about the culture and management of the home.

There were systems in place to monitor quality and safety of the home provided. Accidents and incidents were monitored, analysed and remedial actions identified to reduce the risk of reoccurrence.

The inspection was carried out on 2 and 4 June 2015 and was announced. The provider was given 24 hour’s notice of the inspection to ensure that the people we needed to speak to were available. This was our first inspection of Taunton House which was registered with CQC on 5 October 2014.

Taunton House provides personal care and accommodation for adults with a mental health condition. They provide this service to a maximum of five people. At the time of our inspection on 2 June 2014, four people were living in Taunton House. On 4 June 2015 an additional person had moved into the home.

Taunton House is a small home with communal areas, a lounge / dining room and two kitchens on the ground floor and bedrooms on the first floor. A well maintained garden was accessible from the rear of the property.

Risks to people’s health or well-being had been assessed and plans put in place to protect people. People had access to medicines and these were kept safely.

There were sufficient staff to provide the support needed and staff knew people’s needs well. People said they enjoyed the food which was prepared and cooked in the home.

Staff provided exceptional individualised care for people. They showed respect to people and spoke with them in a kind and caring manner. The provider supported people to be as independent as they could be, to be in employment and to remain a part of the community. People’s privacy was respected and people said they felt safe and cared for.

Staff had completed a range of training and felt supported by the provider. The quality of the care and support provided in the home was monitored by the provider.

Staff knew how to identify abuse and act to report it to the appropriate authority. The provider followed safe processes to help ensure staff were suitable to work with people living in the home.

People felt involved in the way their care was planned and delivered. They were able to provide feedback on the service they received and their concerns were addressed.

The provider and staff understood their responsibilities under the Mental Capacity Act 2005. Staff gained consent from people where appropriate. CQC is required by law to monitor the operation of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). No-one living at the home was currently subject to a DoLS, however, the manager understood when an application should be made.