Vancouver Road is a care home that provides care and support to up to seven people with a learning disability. At the time of our inspection, there were seven people using the service.

At the last inspection, the service was rated Good. At this inspection, we found the service remained Good.

The service did not have a registered manager at the time of the inspection. The manager in post was in the process of completing their registration with the CQC. 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.

People continued to be safe in the service. Staff were trained to protect people from abuse and to manage people’s risks of avoidable harm. Appropriately recruited staff were available in sufficient numbers to deliver care and support safely. People received their medicines in lie with prescribers instructions and staff maintained a high level of preparedness to keep people safe in a fire emergency.

The care and support people received was delivered by trained and supervised staff. People gave their consent to the care and support they received and people were treated in accordance with the Mental Health Act 2005. People ate well and were supported to access healthcare services whenever they needed to.

People received care and support from kind and caring staff. Staff knew people well and supported people to maintain the relationships that were important to them. People’s independence and privacy were promoted.

People’s needs were assessed and staff had clear guidance in care records detailing how people’s needs should be met. People’s behavioural support needs were responded to and managed appropriately. The provider sought people’s views and acted in response to them. The service had not received any complaints and people told us they knew how to raise a complaint if they had concerns.

The manager was described as approachable by people and staff. The staff understood their roles and met regularly as a team. The service worked collaboratively with health and social care professionals to ensure people’s needs were met.

Vancouver Road provides care and accommodation for six people with a learning disability. Each person has their own large room and there is a shared kitchen and living room. The service has a large garden. Six people were using the service at the time of the inspection.

This unannounced inspection took place on 13 March 2015. The service was previously inspected on 25 October 2013 and was found to meet all the regulations checked at that time. The service has 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.

People told us they enjoyed using the service. A local authority commissioner and a psychologist told us the service worked constructively with health and social care professionals to develop effective care and support for people.

People received safe care. Risks to people were identified before they moved into the service. Risk assessments were reviewed to ensure they were up to date and accurate. Staff had developed and implemented effective plans to reduce the risk of harm to people. The service safely managed people’s medicines and people received them as prescribed. Staff understood how to safeguard people from abuse and neglect.

Staff had the knowledge and skills to meet people’s needs. The provider ensured they received appropriate training and guidance to deliver good quality support to people. Staff complied with the legal requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). People told us they enjoyed the meals at the service. Staff ensured people were supported to keep as healthy as possible.

Staff were described by people and relatives as caring and kind. Staff understood how to treat people with dignity and respect. Communication guidelines were followed by staff so that people with complex needs were able to express their views as fully as possible.

The service appropriately planned and delivered people’s care and support to meet their individual needs. People told us their views and preferences were taken into account in relation to the support they received. They said they were supported to follow their interests. People were involved in a range of community activities. People and relatives told us they were encouraged to give feedback about the service and staff listened to them.

People told us they were always treated well by the staff. Their relatives told us the service was well-run and from their observations people received support and care which fully met their needs. Staff told us they were clear about how they should treat people and provide their support. Relatives told us there was open communication between them and staff and this enabled them to contribute to the development of people’s support. The registered manager regularly met with staff and people to obtain their views about the operation of the service and how to improve it. She also regularly audited care records and made health and safety checks. Any identified improvements were followed up.

Most people who used this service communicated through non verbal means. With the assistance of staff and the use of observation we were able to communicate with four people who lived at the home.

We observed the way staff were supporting people in the home had a positive effect on their well being. People who used the service communicated to us that staff were kind and respected their privacy. They confirmed that staff treated them with respect and dignity.

We spoke with family member who told us “the care provided was excellent.” People told us they had good access to healthcare professionals such as doctors, dentists and chiropodists. This was confirmed by records that we saw in care plans.

People we spoke with communicated that they felt safe at the home. Staff we spoke with and records that we read confirmed that staff were able to identify forms of abuse and knew how to escalate any concern.

Staff records that we read told us that all staff had received a robust selection process and induction. This ensured that the home was staffed by appropriately qualified people.

We saw that the home ensured that it continually reviewed its service. We noted that the provider frequently contacted people and their representatives to discuss areas of improvement. The service had a comprehensive collection of policies and procedures that were effective in providing an efficient safe service.

On this occasion, we did not speak to people who used the service.

We used a number of methods to help us understand the experiences of people using the service at Vancouver Road. We were told by a person who knows the service well that they are very happy with the service their relative receives. They said that their relative is encouraged to lead an active life and the care provided suits their needs.