This announced comprehensive inspection took place on 31 July and 1 August 2018. This was the first inspection since the service was registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in June 2017.

The Regard Group is registered both as a domiciliary care agency and a supported living service. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats, and to people living in a ‘supported living’ setting, so they can live as independently as possible.

People’s care and housing are provided under separate contractual arrangements. The CQC does not regulate premises used for supported living; this inspection looked at people’s care and support.

People using the service lived in four locations around the surrounding area of Redruth or in their own homes. Locations included Govis House, Fox House, Meadow View and Connexions. Not everyone using The Regard Group receives regulated activity; CQC only inspects the service being received by people provided with ‘personal care; help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also take into account any wider social care provided. There were 30 people being supported but only 11 received personal care. This included one person at Govis House, two people at Fox House, four people at Meadow View, three people at Connexions and one person living in their own home in the community.

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.

There was a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the 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 had been in post since the service commenced in June 2017. The service had recently had a change of management structure and the current registered manager was being supported by a second manager. This manager planned to become the future CQC registered manager of the service. At that point, the current registered manager would apply to CQC to be deregistered from their role at the service.

The organisational changes in the management structure had been necessary following a growth in the service and the registered manager role had increased. The registered manager was supported by service managers, team leaders and senior support workers. There had also been a high number of safeguarding concerns about one location in particular; this also required a regular use of agency staff to support ongoing gaps on the staff rota. These had generated a number of concerns which were being dealt with by the service and the local authority safeguarding team.

People were protected by staff who were safely recruited, trained and supervised in their work. They underwent a thorough recruitment process and undertook training relevant to their role. Supervisions were held regularly and staff felt these were useful.

Staff felt included, valued and that their opinions mattered. They felt able to raise any concerns or questions. Staff felt supported by management and felt the changes in management were for the better. Staff were very positive about the management team and their ability to lead the staff team.

Staff were encouraged to move up the ladder at the service and were supported to do this by management.

Staff had received training in safeguarding and knew what to do in the case of suspected abuse. They had been appropriately trained in medicines and people received their right medicines at the right time. People were encouraged to eat a healthy balanced diet and staff supported them