What life is like for people using this service:

The provider’s quality assurance system enabled them to monitor and identify any shortfalls in the quality of the service people received. Actions were taken and improvements were made when required.

There were enough staff available to support people with all their needs, including participating in activities and trips into the community. Staff felt supported by the registered manager and understood their role and responsibilities. Staff induction training and on-going training was provided to ensure they had the skills and knowledge to carry out their roles effectively.

People had person centred support plans which were very inclusive of what was important to them, respected their privacy and dignity and promoted independence. Staff followed the support plans to ensure people received assistance that met their individual needs and preferences and supported them to live as full a life as possible.

Risk assessments were used to manage potential risks within people’s lives, whilst also promoting their independence. Staff understood their responsibility to keep people safe and report any concerns. Where things did go wrong, the provider ensured actions had been taken to reduce future risks.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. People were supported to eat and drink enough to ensure they maintained a balanced diet and referrals to other health professionals were made when required. People received their medicines as required.

Staff were caring and kind and knew what was important to people. Staff supported people to communicate through pictures, objects of reference and by monitoring their facial expressions and body language.

More information in Detailed Findings below.

Rating at last inspection:

Good (report published 27 May 2016).

About the service:

The Willows Supported Living Service is a supported living service for up to seven people living with learning disabilities or autistic spectrum disorder. At the time of our inspection there were six people using the service. 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.

Why we inspected:

This was a planned inspection based on the rating at the last inspection. We found the provider had maintained the characteristics of Good in all areas and the overall rating remains as Good.

Follow up:

We will continue to monitor the service through the information we receive.

This inspection visit took place on 26 April 2016 and was announced. The provider was given two days’ notice of our inspection visit to ensure the manager and care staff were available when we visited the office.

The service was last inspected on 10 July 2013 when we found the provider was compliant with the essential standards described in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2010.

People at The Willows employed care staff through the provider Turning Point to support them with personal care within a supported living service. There were six people receiving personal care in their own home at The Willows on the day of our inspection visit. Each person had their own bedroom and shared communal facilities with each other, such as bathrooms, kitchen spaces, dining rooms and lounges.

The service had a registered manager. 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. We refer to the registered manager as the manager in the body of this report.

People felt safe using the service and there were processes to minimise risks to people’s safety. These included procedures to manage identified risks with people’s care. Care staff understood how to protect people from abuse and keep people safe. The character and suitability of care staff was checked during recruitment procedures to make sure, as far as possible, they were safe to work with people.

There were enough care staff to deliver the care and support people required. Care staff were kind and knew how people liked to receive their care.

Care staff received an induction when they started working for the service and completed regular training to support them in meeting people’s needs effectively. Training was planned and delivered to take into account the complex needs of people who used the service. Support plans and risk assessments contained relevant information for staff to help them provide the care people needed in a way they preferred.

Staff were supported by managers through regular meetings. There was an out of hours’ on call system in operation which ensured management support and advice was always available for staff. The managers understood the principles of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA), and care staff respected people’s decisions and gained people’s consent before they provided personal care.

Staff, people and their relatives felt the manager was approachable. Communication was encouraged and identified concerns were acted upon by the manager and provider. People knew how to complain and information about making a complaint was available for people. Care staff said they could raise any concerns or issues with the managers, knowing they would be listened to and acted on. The provider monitored complaints to identify any trends and patterns and had systems in place to make changes to the service in response to complaints.

There were systems to monitor and review the quality of service people received and to understand the experiences of people who used the service. This was through regular communication with people and staff, returned surveys, spot checks on care staff and a programme of other checks and audits. Where issues had been identified, the provider acted to make improvements.

When we visited Domiciliary Care Office - The Willows we spoke with the manager and three project workers. We also spoke with three relatives via telehone who had family members using the service.

Relatives we spoke with told us that they were happy with the service being provided making comments such as, "It's amazing" and "Very pleased, very happy."

We saw that people had person centred plans in place. We found that the plans contained information to assist staff with meeting people's care and support needs. We noted that the plans were reviewed as necessary.

We found that robust recruitment processes were in place to ensure that staff employed by the provider were suitable to work with vulnerable people.

We saw that there were processes in place for monitoring and assessing the quality of the service provided for people.

We found that confidential information pertaining to people using the service and staff was store securely.