This inspection took place on 6 June 2017 and was unannounced. At our last inspection in March 2015 the service was rated as good.

The Lavenders is a seven bed care home for people with learning disabilities. On the day of our visit there were seven people living in the home.

People experienced good care and support. They were supported to live safe, fulfilled and meaningful lives in the way they wanted to.

People were supported with healthy eating and to maintain a healthy weight, with specialist diets when required. People who needed assistance with meal preparation were supported and encouraged to make choices about what they ate and drank. The support staff we spoke with demonstrated a sound knowledge of people’s care needs, significant people and events in their lives, and their daily routines and preferences. They also understood the provider’s safeguarding procedures and could explain how they would protect people if they had any concerns

Staff told us they enjoyed working in the home and spoke positively about the culture and management of the service. Staff told us that they were encouraged to openly discuss any issues. Staff said they enjoyed their jobs and described management as supportive. Staff confirmed they were able to raise issues and make suggestions about the way the service was provided.

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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

The service was safe and there were appropriate safeguards in place to help protect the people who lived there. People were able to make choices about the way in which they were cared for. Staff listened to them and knew their needs well. Staff had the training and support they needed.

Staffing levels were sufficient to meet people’s needs. Recruitment practices were safe and relevant checks had been completed before staff worked at the home. People’s medicines were managed appropriately so they received them safely.

The Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) provides a legal framework for making particular decisions on behalf of people who may lack the mental capacity to do so for themselves. The Act requires that as far as possible people make their own decisions and are helped to do so when needed. When they lack mental capacity to take particular decisions, any made on their behalf must be in their best interests and as least restrictive as possible.

The service was meeting the requirements of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). Appropriate mental capacity assessments and best interest decisions had been undertaken by relevant professionals. This ensured that the decision was taken in accordance with the Mental Capacity Act 2005, DoLS and associated Codes of Practice.

People participated in a range of different social activities and were supported to access the local community. They also participated in shopping for the home and their own needs. The registered manager and staff ensured everyone was supported to maintain good health. Staff took a very proactive approach to ensuring people's complex health needs were always met, and consistently ensured that when people needed specialist input from health care professionals they got it.

Staff were caring and always ensured they treated people with dignity and respect. They had a good understanding of the care and support needs of every person living in the home. People had developed very positive relationships with staff and there was a friendly and relaxed atmosphere in the home.

Staff were well supported with training, supervision and appraisal which helped them to ensure they provided very effective care for people.

People and those important to them, such as their relati

We inspected The Lavenders on 31 March 2015. This was an unannounced inspection.

The Lavenders is a seven bed care home for people with learning disabilities. On the day of our visit there were seven people living in the home

People told us they were very happy with the care and support they received.

People who needed assistance with meal preparation were well supported and encouraged to make choices about what they ate and drank. The care staff we spoke with demonstrated a good knowledge of people’s care needs, significant people and events in their lives, and their daily routines and preferences. They also understood the provider’s safeguarding procedures and could explain how they would protect people if they had any concerns.

Staff told us they enjoyed working in the home and spoke positively about the culture and management of the service. Staff told us that they were encouraged to openly discuss any issues. Staff said they enjoyed their jobs and described management as supportive. Staff confirmed they were able to raise issues and make suggestions about the way the service was provided.

The registered manager had been in post since March 2014. 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

The service was safe and there were appropriate safeguards in place to help protect the people who lived there. People were able to make choices about the way in which they were cared for. Staff listened to them and knew their needs well. Staff had the training and support they needed. Relatives of people living at the home and other professionals were happy with the service. There was evidence that staff and managers at the home had been involved in reviewing and monitoring the quality of the service to make sure it improved.

Staffing levels were sufficient to meet people’s needs. Recruitment practices were safe and relevant checks had been completed before staff worked at the home. People’s medicines were managed appropriately so they received them safely.

The service was meeting the requirements of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards(DoLS). Appropriate mental capacity assessments and best interest decisions had been undertaken by relevant professionals. This ensured that the decisions was taken in accordance with the Mental Capacity Act 2005, DoLS and associated Codes of Practice.

People had participated in a range of different social activities individually and as a group and were supported to access the local community. Activities included visits to parks, museums and the zoo and going to discos. They also participated in shopping for the home and their own needs, and some people had recently been on holiday together with staff support. Some people were also supported to go to college and day care centres.

The registered manager provided good leadership and people using the service, relatives and professionals we contacted told us the manager promoted high standards of care.

The people who used this service had significant communication needs, and were unable to tell us of their experiences themselves. We observed the care and support they received, and spoke with three relatives. One relative told us “We are so happy our relative is there, we hope they never have to move. Our relative has improved so much since moving there”. Another said “They give individual care and support. My relative is motivated to go out and do things now where before they never had the opportunity”.

We found that the service sought consent for care and support, and followed the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 when people were unable to consent. We saw that each person had a full assessment of needs prior to moving into the service, and that the service met their individual needs.

We saw that people were provided with a good variety of healthy food, and their individual dietary requirements were met. The premises were clean and met standards for infection control. Staff working in the service were qualified, skilled and experienced, and had undergone training relevant to their roles.

We saw that records were mostly accurate and fit for purpose, however the personal records of people who had lived in the service for several years required updating to ensure they clearly reflect the person's current circumstances and needs.

People who use the service have learning difficulties and communication with some people was limited. We were able to speak with three people who indicated to us that staff treated them well. We also observed the interaction between people and staff. We noted that staff spoke with people in a respectful and friendly manner and people responded well to staff and co-operated with staff.

Two relatives who spoke with us on the phone confirmed that people who use the service had been treated with respect and dignity and their care needs had been attended to. They had been consulted and kept informed regarding the welfare and progress of their relatives. There were appropriate arrangements in place to manage medicines.The medication records examined indicated that people had been given their medication as prescribed.

Relatives spoke highly of staff and indicated that staff did a good job and were professional in their approach. Staff records indicated that staff had received essential training and were supported by the manager. The views of relatives can be summarised by the following comment, “I am satisfied with the care provided to my relative. My relative was dressed properly and looked well when I visited.”

During this visit we spent time talking to people and observing their interactions with staff. We also spoke to relatives of people using the service and looked at their files. From observations it was evident that staff interacted with people in a positive and respectful manner. A person we spoke to said they could make choices and they were happy living at the home. They said they were supported to make decisions on their preferences. We noted from observations and discussion with the manager that most of the people using the service were engaged with activities they attended at a day centre or college. We saw staff listening to people and providing care that met their needs.

Observations indicated that staff looked after people and provided support that met their needs. A person we spoke to told us that they were happy living at the home. They said they liked to stay at home but occasionally went out to parks and shops with staff.

We saw that staff treated people using the service with respect. A person we talked to said they liked staff. Relatives told us they trusted staff and they were confident people received appropriate care and support that met their needs.

Relatives told us staff gave them up-to-date information whenever they visited or contacted by telephone. They said they felt confident people using the service received support and care they required. A person who uses the service told us staff were available to care for them. During our visit most of people who use the service had gone out to follow various activities outlined in their programme of activities. This indicated that they were kept mentally and socially stimulated.

Observations indicated that staff listened to people. A person using the service told us they were happy with the way staff interacted with them. Relatives of people using the service told us they had been asked for feedback about their view on the quality of the service. We saw minutes of residents' meeting which indicated that people were able to make comments about the facilities and services.