We inspected the service on 29 November 2018. The inspection was announced. At our last inspection in March 2016, we found the provider was meeting the regulations we inspected and the service was rated Good. At this inspection, we found that the service continued to be rated Good. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

The Cedars is a domiciliary care service that provides care and support to people in a shared house where supported living support was provided by the service. A supported living service is one where people live in their own home and receive care and support in order to promote their independence. People have tenancy agreements with a landlord and receive their care and support from the domiciliary care agency. On the day of our visit there were 16 people using the service.

There were policies and procedures in relation to safeguarding the people who used the service. Staff were aware of their responsibilities to ensure that people were protected from the risk or potential risk of harm.

Records were in place to monitor any specific areas where people were more at risk and explained what action staff needed to take to protect them. There were enough staff on duty to meet the needs of the people.

Background checks had been carried out on staff before they started to work for the provider to make sure they were suitable to work with vulnerable people.

There were systems in place to manage people's medicines so that they received them when they needed.

Care and support was delivered in a safe way by staff who had received appropriate training. Staff received appropriate support to meet the needs of people. They were clear about their roles and responsibilities.

The provider had policies and procedures in relation to the Mental Capacity Act 2005 to guide and inform the staff.

People were provided with a choice of suitable and nutritious food and drink that they enjoyed. Staff continually monitored people’s condition and where necessary sought the assistance of other health and social care professionals.

We saw people using the service were supported by kind and attentive staff. People expressed their views and were involved in making decisions about the care and support they received.

People were treated with respect and their diverse needs had been recorded. Staff encouraged people to be as independent as possible.

People’s needs were assessed and care and support were delivered in line with their individual care plan. Staff regularly reviewed people’s care plan and any changes that were identified were addressed.

The provider took account of complaints and comments to improve the service. There was a system in place to log people’s comments and learn from them.

The provider had quality assurance and audit systems in place. From discussions with the management team, it was clear that they routinely reviewed practice to improve the care and support provided to people who used the service.

This inspection took place on 16 March 2016 and was announced. The registered manager was given 48 hours’ notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service. This was to ensure that members of the management team and staff were available to talk to. This was the first inspection since the service started operating in October 2013. The inspection was carried out by one inspector.

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 Cedars is a domiciliary care service that provides care and support to people in a shared house where supported living support was provided by the service. A supported living service is one where people live in their own home and receive care and support in order to promote their independence. People have tenancy agreements with a landlord and receive their care and support from the domiciliary care agency. On the day of our visit there were 14 people using the service.

People said they felt safe and would talk to staff if they had concerns. Staff demonstrated their understanding of the service’s safeguarding policy and knew how to ensure people were protected from abuse.

Risk assessments clearly identified any risk and gave staff guidance on how to minimise the risk. They were designed to keep people and staff safe while allowing people to develop and maintain their independence.

Appropriate measures were in place to ensure staff assisted people to take their medicines safely. People were supported to have their nutritional needs met and there was guidance in care records as to how to meet these.

People were supported by a consistent staff team who knew them well and had received training specific to their needs. Staff were supported through supervision and appraisals. They felt supported to carry out their roles and were in regular contact with the registered manager.

The service considered people’s capacity using the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) as guidance. People’s capacity to make decisions had been assessed. Consent was sought before care and support was carried out.

The service worked in partnership with other health professionals to ensure people received effective care and support.

Staff were caring and treated people with respect and dignity. They had a good understanding of people’s needs, hobbies and interests. People were involved in decisions made about their care and support needs. The service encouraged them to participate in meaningful activities.

People, relatives and staff spoke positively about the service and said it was managed well. There were clear lines of accountability.

There were systems in place to manage, monitor and improve the quality of the service provided. Survey results from people and their representatives were positive and any issues identified were acted upon.