This service is based in Witney, Oxfordshire, and provides personal care and support for people with learning disabilities who live in houses in the North Oxfordshire area. There were 22 people receiving support from the service at the time of the inspection.

At the previous inspection carried out on 21April 2015, the service had been rated as ‘Good’. At this inspection we found the service remained ‘Good’.

People told us they felt safe and staff were aware of their responsibility to ensure people’s safety. Risk assessments had been developed to minimise the potential risk of harm to people during the delivery of their care. These had been kept under review and were relevant to the care being provided.

Staff knew what action to take if they were concerned that someone was being abused or mistreated. The provider's whistleblowing policy protected staff to make disclosures about poor staff conduct or practice, and staff confirmed the manager would take responsive action if they reported such problems.

Staff had been recruited safely to ensure they were suitable to work with vulnerable people. There were sufficient numbers of skilled staff to meet people's needs and people received their medicines as prescribed.

Records showed staff received the training they needed to keep people safe. The manager had taken action to ensure that training was kept up-to-date and future training was planned.

Staff felt supported by the registered provider. Staff received regular supervision and appraisal to reflect on good practice and areas for improvement.

The registered manager and staff had a clear understanding of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and implemented its principles in their practice. They were knowledgeable about protecting the legal rights of people who did not have the mental capacity to make decisions for themselves. The service acted in accordance with legal requirements to support people who may lack capacity to make their own decisions.

People had access to healthcare when they needed it and recommendations from healthcare professionals were implemented.

Care records showed that people's needs had been assessed before they started using the service and care plans were written in a person-centred way. We saw these care plans were reviewed regularly and with the involvement of people who use the service, their relatives and healthcare professionals. We saw professional advice was incorporated into care planning and delivery.

People described staff as kind and caring. People were supported to maintain friendships with the people they lived with and other people who were important to them. People's independence was supported and their privacy and dignity were respected.

The service had a complaints procedure which was made available to people provided with care and support. People told us they knew how to make a complaint if they had any concerns.

There was a registered manager in post. 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.

The registered manager used a variety of methods to assess and monitor the quality of the service. These included satisfaction surveys, spot check and care reviews. We found people were satisfied with the service they received.

26 people were receiving a service from the provider. We spoke with six people and five care workers.

Before people received any care or treatment they were asked for their consent and the provider acted in accordance with their wishes. However, the provider may wish to note staff had not documented where people had consented for them to share information on their behalf.

People told us they were happy at the service, one person signalled their happiness by smiling and laughing. Another person said "I am treated very well the staff are really good".

We saw that people’s support involved other providers. We noted that one person received support from a local day centre. We saw that the provider’s contacted each other regarding the person’s health concern. This meant that people had choice and were protected because information on their day to day needs was shared.

Evidence of employee's previous conduct was obtained. References were taken up before the person started work. One of these references was always from the care workers most recent employer. In addition each person was checked against the disclosure and barring (DBS) list prior to being offered employment.

People we spoke with told us they felt able to raise concerns and the provider responded to complaints and compliments. People and their relative’s views on the service had been sought.

The provider took appropriate action regarding medication administration errors.

People who used the service told us that they were happy with the support they received and evidence indicated that they were consulted and involved in how they wished to live their lives.

We found that peoples health and welfare needs were being met and that support given was individualised and person centred.

Evidence informed us that systems were in place to protect people from possible abuse and that staff had an awareness of safeguarding issues. People told us they were well treated.

We found that staff had undertaken appropriate training and received regular support, supervision and appraisal.

We found that the quality of the service was being monitored and evidence indicated that concerns were promptly acted upon.

We inspected West Oxfordshire Supported Living on the 28 January and 23 February 2015. This service works from an office in Witney and provides personal care and support for people with learning disabilities who live in their own homes in the north Oxfordshire area.

The previous inspection of this service was carried out in May 2014. In May the service was found in breach of five regulations in relation to care and welfare, staffing, supporting workers, records, management and quality assurance of the service. We asked the provider to send us an action plan detailing how they planned to make the necessary improvements. This was an unannounced inspection to see whether these improvements had been made, but also to do a full inspection in order to provide the service with an overall rating.

There was a registered manager in post at the service. 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 who used the service were safe as the service had a clear understanding of the risk associated with people’s needs as well as activities people chose to do. The service had sufficient numbers of suitably qualified staff, who had a good understanding of safeguarding and their responsibilities to report suspected abuse. Medicines were administered safely with safe arrangements for storage and recording of medicines.

Staff understood their responsibilities in relation to the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and had received training in this area. The MCA provides a legal framework to assess people’s capacity to make certain decisions, at a certain time. Staff were supported through ongoing meetings and individual one to one supervisions to reflect on their practice and develop their skills. Staff received mandatory training as well as training specific to people’s needs. For example, staff had recived training on Autistic Spectrum Disorder and Epilepsy.

People’s relatives and professionals described the care people recived as outstanding. Staff were caring and showed a genuine warmth and commitment to the people they supported. People felt they mattered to staff and were involved in every aspect of their lives. Staff regularly went above and beyond to ensure people were supported effectively, Where communication could have been a barrier for people the service found ways to ensure the people could communicate in a way that suited them.

People’s needs were assessed and staff understood these needs and responded appropriately when people’s needs changed. People’s interests and preferences were documented and they were encouraged to pursue activities and areas of interest. Social inclusion was an important priority for people and the staff who supported them.

The registered manager had a clear vision for the service that was shared by the staff team. This vision was about complete inclusion and involvement of people and staff in shaping their lives and the service. This vision was being embedded within staff practice and evidenced through people’s care records.

Leadership of the service at all levels was open and transparent and supported a positive culture committed to supporting people with learning disabilities.