Victoria Cottage is registered to provide accommodation and support for up to 12 people with learning disabilities and complex needs. On the day of our visit, there were nine people living at the service.

The service was led by 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.

Our inspection took place on 25, 26 and 28 April 2017 and was unannounced.

At the last inspection, the service was rated Good.

The inspection was undertaken as part of our routine re-inspection programme, to review the rating from the first comprehensive inspection completed on 3 June 2015.

At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

The service was extremely caring and all staff worked very hard to support people to feel unique and individual. The leadership of the service and the staff worked in conjunction in a well-coordinated way to focus their full attention on each person and provide them with truly person centred care. We observed showed that staff treated people as individuals and that people were happy and confident in the way they were supported by staff. People and their relatives reported this was always the case. Relatives shared their positive experiences with us and told us about examples where staff had gone the extra mile to give someone the care and support they needed in order they received excellent, high quality care. This high standard of care enhanced people's quality of life and wellbeing. Staff were passionate about providing people with support that was based on their individual needs, goals and aspirations.

There was an open and positive culture within the service of treating people with dignity and respect. The staff and the registered manager were always visible and approachable and listened to people and their relatives; they offered them choice and made them feel that they mattered. Staff spent time with people so they knew them and their needs. People and the staff knew each other well and these relationships were valued. Care was really planned around people's individual preferences and this included their spiritual and cultural wishes. People's diverse needs were considered and their human rights were respected.

People's needs were met in an exceptionally person centred way. They were supported to plan their own care and to pursue the life they wanted to live. The staff showed empathy and understanding and supported people with interests and helped them to feel more confident in their life skills. Care and support was person centred and focused on the needs and wishes of the people who lived at the service. Their individual needs were well known by staff who had an exceptional knowledge of the people who they were caring for and provided the support and care they needed.

Staff had been trained to recognise signs of potential abuse and keep people safe. People felt safe living at the service. People had risk assessments in place to enable them to be as independent as they could be whilst remaining safe. Staff knew how to manage risks to promote people’s safety, and balanced these against people’s rights to take risks and remain independent. There were sufficient numbers of staff who had the right skills and knowledge to meet people’s needs. Effective recruitment processes were in place and followed by the service. Staff were not offered employment until satisfactory checks had been completed. Systems were in place to ensure people’s medicines were managed in a safe way and that they received their medication when they needed it.

Staff received support and training to perform their roles and responsibilities. They were provided with on-going training to update their skills and knowledge. Staff

This inspection took place on 3 June 2015 and was unannounced.

Victoria Cottage is a care home for up to 12 adults who may also have a range of care needs including a learning disability or autistic spectrum disorder and physical disabilities. There were 10 people living in the home on the day of the inspection.

Since February 2014, the home had been operating under an administration company due to the financial difficulties of the previous provider. In November 2014, the current provider took over. Shortly after, we were advised that there had been changes in the management of the service and a new manager was appointed in December 2014. The new manager had not yet registered with the Care Quality Commission, but he was able to show us that he had begun this process.

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.

Systems were in place to ensure people’s medicines were managed in a safe way and that they got their medication when they needed it.

Staff had been trained to recognise signs of potential abuse and keep people safe. People felt safe living at the service.

Processes were in place to manage identifiable risks within the service and ensure people did not have their freedom unnecessarily restricted.

The provider carried out proper recruitment checks on new staff to make sure they were suitable to work at the service.

Improvements were required however to update staff training; to ensure there are sufficient numbers of staff with the right skills and knowledge to meet people’s needs, at all times.

We found that the service worked to the Mental Capacity Act 2005 key principles, which state that a person's capacity should always be assumed, and assessments of capacity must be undertaken where it is believed that a person cannot make decisions about their care and support.

People had enough to eat and drink. Assistance was provided to those who needed help with eating and drinking, in a discreet and helpful manner.

The service had developed positive working relationships with external healthcare professionals to ensure effective arrangements were in place to meet people’s healthcare needs.

Staff were observed providing care and support in a caring and meaningful way, and people were treated with kindness and compassion. People also had regular opportunities to engage in activities within the local community.

We saw that people’s dignity was respected at all times and they were encouraged to maintain their independence as far as possible.

We saw that people were given regular opportunities to express their views on the service they received and to be actively involved in making decisions about their care and support.

A complaints procedure had been developed to let people know how to raise concerns about the service if they needed to.

Systems were also in place to monitor the quality of the service provided and drive continuous improvement.