This inspection was carried out on the 20 December 2016 and was announced.

Turning Point – Kent DCA is registered to provide personal care to people living in their own homes. Each person had a tenancy agreement and rented their accommodation. The service supports adults who have learning disabilities and physical disabilities. At the time of the inspection 25 people were receiving a personal care service.

The service had a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who is 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.

There was a culture of openness and honesty and people were supported to be as independent as possible. We visited a Christmas party organised by the provider and there was a relaxed atmosphere. Staff told us they had built up strong relationships with people and people were laughing and dancing throughout our visit.

Staff were responsive to people's needs and had supported them to go on holiday to places such as Benidorm and Kefalonia. The registered manager regularly organised competitions for everyone being supported to take part in. People had baked cakes and created a snowman and shared their work with each other.

Staff had sought advice and guidance from a variety of healthcare professionals to ensure people received the best care possible. People received support with a variety of health care conditions and staff supported one person to attend dialysis several times a week. People were supported to manage their medicines safely.

Any accidents and incidents were analysed to reduce the risk of them happening again. Risks relating to people's health, their behaviour and other aspects of their lives had been assessed and minimised where possible.

There was a contingency plan in place in the event of an emergency to ensure people still received the support they needed. Staff told us they could always contact a manager out of hours for advice or guidance if necessary.

There was enough staff to meet people's needs. Staff had been recruited safely. Staff had received induction, training, and supervision to support people effectively. There was an ongoing training programme to ensure that staff had the skills and knowledge to meet people's needs. Staff knew how to recognise and respond to abuse. The registered manager had reported any safeguarding concerns to the local authority and these had been investigated fully.

The Care Quality Commission is required by law to monitor the operation of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). In supported living applications for DoLS are made to the Court of Protection. DoLS are a set of checks that are designed to ensure that a person who is deprived of their liberty is protected, and that this course of action is both appropriate and in the person's best interests. The registered manager had made some applications to the Court of Protection but these had not yet been authorised. Staff had up to date knowledge on the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and DoLS. They supported people to make their own choices where possible.

People were supported to eat healthily. They were involved in planning and preparing meals. Some people were fed through a special tube in their stomach and staff had received training to support them safely.

There was a complaints policy in place and people told us they knew how to complain if they needed to. Complaints were documented, investigated and responded to.

The registered manager was experienced in working with people with learning disabilities and providing person centred care. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) had been informed of any important events that occurred at the service, in line with current legislation.

The registered manager regularly carried out audits

People who could, told us that they were happy with their care. We saw documentation that demonstrated the service instilled person centred practice and worked with the people they supported rather than automatically doing things for them.. One person said "The help I get means that I can live independently and do the things I want to do". Another person said "I like my support workers, they help me a lot". Staff had received guidance from supervisors and their work was monitored to make sure that they continued to meet people's needs in a reliable way. This was being done through individual supervision meetings with supervisors, staff meetings and spot checks. We also saw that annual appraisals were carried out to promote professional development and reflect any regulatory and / or professional requirements. Staff told us that they felt supported and received sufficient training. This helped ensure that people's health and welfare needs were being met by a competent staff team. People told us that they were satisfied with the personal care they received and that their independence was encouraged.