The inspection took place on 14 and 15 December 2016. Short notice of the inspection was given because the service is small and people are often out with staff support. At the previous inspection in February 2014 there were no breaches of regulation.

Family Investment (Five) Limited provides accommodation with personal care for up to 8 adults with a learning disability. The shareholders and directors of Family Investment (Five) Limited are family members or guardians of the people who live there. The directors hold regular meetings to discuss all aspects of the service and any surplus monies go back into improvements. There were 8 people living at the service at the time of the inspection. Each person has their own en-suite room and shares the lounge, sun room and dining room. The service is situated by the vineyards at Elham Valley. It has its own garden to the rear of the property.

A registered manager was in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (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.

Staff knew how to identify and report any safeguarding concerns in order to help people keep safe.

A robust recruitment procedure meant checks were carried out on all staff before they supported people, to ensure that they were suitable for their role.

There were enough staff who were sufficiently qualified and competent to support the people at the service. Most staff had worked at the service for a number of years and so helped ensure consistency of care.

There were safe systems in place for the storage, administration and disposal of medicines. Staff received regular training in how to administer medicines safely.

Potential risks of harm in the environment and for people when carrying out their daily lives had been identified and guidance was in place as to how the risk of harm could be reduced.

A schedule of cleaning was in place to ensure the service was clean and practices were in place to minimise the spread of any infection.

Staff felt well supported. They received informal support from the staff team and formal supervision with a senior member of staff. There was a rolling programme of essential training to ensure staff had the skills and knowledge to care for people effectively.

People had their health needs assessed and these were effectively monitored. People were responsible for planning, shopping and cooking their own food and took this in turns.

CQC is required by law to monitor the operation of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards. The service understood when to make an application, but had not needed to do so.

Staff were kind, caring and compassionate, and genuinely enjoyed spending time with people. The service was run on ‘family values’ and people were supported to maintain links with people who were important to them such as family and friends. People were actively involved in making decisions that affected their daily lives.

People understood that information about their care, treatment and support needs were contained in their plans of care. This information included what was important to people and their choices and preferences. Staff knew people well which enabled them to support people in a personalised way.

The service prioritised ensuring people had active fulfilling lives. People undertook a variety of educational, creative and work based activities which reflected their interests and abilities.

People’s views were sought in a variety of ways and they felt able to raise any concerns with staff. Information was available about how to follow the complaints process, should they need to use it.

The registered manager was approachable and the atmosphere in the service was relaxed and informal. The registered manager

We spoke with staff and people living in the home. People spoke to us about their social activities and the work that they did in the local community, tea rooms and vineyard. One person told us "I like making pottery and then help to sell it in the shop". People were given the support they needed to make decisions about their care and support.

We observed that there were enough qualified, skilled and experienced staff to meet people's needs.

The provider had a clear complaints procedure in place. People who used the service knew how to make a complaint and were supported by staff, if required.

We spoke with all the people living in the home. People talked to us about the work they did in the vineyard and in the local community. One person told us, "I work in the shop in Canterbury. I enjoy it and have learnt to use the till and serve the customers." They talked about their interests and hobbies and how they were supported to pursue them. People said the staff helped them and listened to them. People were given the support they needed to make decisions about their care and support. People said they had everything they needed. Everybody's lifestyles were different depending on what they enjoyed and what their skills were. Staff said that it was a good place to work. They were able to attend training and said they were well supported by the manager.