This inspection took place on the 12 and 13 October 2017 and was unannounced.

The Fortune Centre of Riding Therapy provides a three year residential Further Education Through Horsemastership Course for 16 to 25 year old people with learning difficulties and disabilities. Students live in a supported environment where they develop greater independence and life skills through the interaction with horses.

Wootton Hall Farm is one of three registered sites that make up The Fortune Centre of Riding Therapy. Wootton Hall Farm offers residential and learning support for up to 33 students between the ages of 16-25. WHF accommodates mainly first and second year and a small number of third year students in premises located a few miles away from the main FCRT site which is located near Bransgore. At the times of the inspection there were 24 students living at Wootton Hall Farm.

The home had 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.

Students felt safe living at WHF and they were very much at the heart of the service. We received consistent positive feedback from people’s families and health professionals. People received excellent care that was based around their individual needs and that ensured care was personalised and responsive.

The risks to people were minimized through risk assessments. There were plans in place for foreseeable emergencies.

The service was responsive to people’s needs and wishes. People were able to choose what activities they took part in and suggest other activities they would like to complete. The registered manager developed and promoted community involvement. Staff knew what was important to people and encouraged them to be as independent as possible.

Relevant recruitment checks were conducted before staff started working at WHF to make sure they were of good character and had the necessary skills. Staff had received training in safeguarding adults and knew how to identify, prevent and report abuse. There were enough staff to keep people safe.

People were supported to take their medicines safely from suitably trained staff. Medication administration records (MAR) confirmed people had received their medicines as prescribed.

People received varied meals including a choice of fresh food and drinks. Staff were aware of people’s likes and dislikes and went out of their way to provide people with what they wanted.

Staff received regular support and one to one sessions or supervision to discuss areas of development. They completed a wide range of training and felt it supported them in their job role.

People were cared for with kindness and compassion. Care plans provided comprehensive information about how people wished to receive care and support. This helped ensure people received personalised care in a way that met their individual needs.

The registered manager maintained a consistently good level of communication with people through a range of newsletters and meetings. Student meetings and surveys allowed people and their families to provide feedback, which was used to improve the service. People felt listened to and a complaints procedure was in place.

There were appropriate management arrangements in place. Regular audits of the service were carried out to assess and monitor the quality of the service.

The Fortune Centre of Riding Therapy (FCRT) provides a three year residential Further Education Through Horsemastership Course for 16 to 25 year old people with learning disabilities. The course aims to teach life and social skills using a horse-based extended curriculum. Students are provided with the opportunity to learn and develop through the interaction with horses.

At the time of our inspection FCRT provided accommodation for these people at two registered sites, Wootton Hall Farm and Robert House. This inspection was conducted on 29 November 2013 and took place at the FCRT Avon Tyrell location, consulting with students who were currently living at Wootton Hall Farm.

One student we spoke with told us, “I love looking after the horses and working with them, especially Domino, Charlie B and Billy”. When we spoke to a group of students and asked them if they enjoyed their time at FCRT they told us, “Yes, I love it”, “I really like it here”, “I couldn’t wait to come back” and “It’s good”.

People experienced care, treatment and support that met their needs and protected their rights.

People were protected from the risks of inadequate nutrition and dehydration.

People who used the service were protected from the risk of abuse, because the provider had taken reasonable steps to identify the possibility of abuse and prevent abuse from happening.

The provider had an effective system to regularly assess and monitor the quality of service that people receive.

We carried out this inspection to follow up on compliance actions made at the last inspection of the service completed on 17 January 2013.

We were supported throughout this inspection by the manager who accompanied us on a tour of the premises. During this tour we were able to see the improvements the provider had made to the environment about the maintenance issues we highlighted in our previous inspection.

We were not able to speak to students during this visit because all students spend their day at The Fortune Centre of Riding Therapy premises in Bransgore, Christchurch. Our visit took place at the Wootton Hall Farm premises in Tiptoe, New Milton.

People who used the service, staff and visitors found the environment comfortable and were protected against the risks of unsafe or unsuitable premises.

At this inspection we spoke with the director, the manager, six members of staff and ten students who lived at Wootton Hall Farm (WHF). One student we spoke with told us “I really like it here”.

We observed that staff and students living at WHF were relaxed with each other, supportive and sensitive. We saw staff knew the students who lived at Wootton Hall Farm well and could anticipate their needs as required.

People’s diversity, values and human rights were respected.

We found that individual learning plans were detailed, person centred, accurately reflected people’s needs and had been drawn up with their involvement.

Students who use the service, staff and visitors were comfortable in their environment but they were not consistently protected against the risks of unsafe or unsuitable premises.

Students were cared for by staff who were supported to deliver care and treatment safely and to an appropriate standard.

There was a complaints system in place, but people were not consistently made aware of how to complain or who to complain to.

First year students told us that they were settling in and getting to know people at the Fortune Centre and enjoying the experience.

Students told us they were learning independence skills and they felt they had become more ‘grown up.’ They also told us that the staff were friendly and helpful.

This comprehensive inspection took place on 9,10 and 13 July 2015. The first day was unannounced.

The Fortune Centre of Riding Therapy (FCRT) provides a three year residential Further Education Through Horsemastership Course for 16 to 25 year old people with learning difficulties and disabilities. Students live in a supported environment where they develop greater independence and life skills through the interaction with horses.

Wootton Hall Farm (WHF) is one of three registered sites that make up the FCRT. WHF offers residential and learning support for up to 33 students between the ages of 16 to 25. WHF accommodates mainly first and second year and a small number of third year students in premises located a few miles away from the main FCRT site which is located near Bransgore.

At the time of the inspection there were 18 students living at WHF and a registered manager was in position. 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.

Students told us they generally felt safe at WHF, they knew who to speak to if they had any concerns and told us names of staff members they could speak to if they were worried. Parents told us they felt WHF provided a very safe environment and the students were very happy living there. Staff knew how to identify, prevent and report abuse. There was a dedicated member of staff nominated for Safeguarding Adults.

The premises and equipment were well maintained throughout and provided clean, modern accommodation for the students to relax, live and learn in.

Students received personal care and support in an individualised way and their privacy was protected. Staff knew students well and were able to demonstrate a good understanding of how they wished their care to be provided. Students were treated with dignity and respect.

Medicines were administered appropriately, stored securely and managed and disposed of safely.

Student’s needs were rigorously assessed and care, support and guidance was planned and delivered to meet their needs. Records showed an assessment of need had been carried out to ensure risks to student’s health were managed effectively.

Students and their relatives were fully involved in assessing and planning the care and support they received. Students were referred to health care professionals as required.

Improvements to the training system were in the process of being completed to ensure staff received relevant training courses and refresher training as required. Staff were knowledgeable about their role and spoke positively regarding the induction and training they received.

The manager told us they had recruited a number of new staff within the last year and said they had enough skilled and appropriately trained staff to meet student’s needs. Staff felt well supported by the management team and received supervision sessions and appraisals.

Staff sought consent from students before providing care. Where students lacked mental capacity to make particular decisions about their care, staff were guided by the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 to ensure specific decisions were in the student’s best interest.

Students received personalised care, guidance and support from staff who were responsive to their needs and knew them well. Staff created a happy, friendly, calm atmosphere which resulted in a positive, open culture at WHF.

Student’s and relatives knew how to make a complaint and felt confident they would be listened to if they needed to raise concerns or queries. The provider sought feedback from people and changes were made if required.

People told us they had confidence in the management team and felt the service was well led. Students and relatives spoke positively about the management team and praised the staff stating, “The staff are wonderful, they achieve incredible results” and, “The Fortune Centre is just fantastic in every way”.

There was a process in place to ensure improvements were made in regard to the safety and quality of the service provided. Accidents and incidents were documented and discussed to ensure lessons could be learnt in order to minimise the likelihood of them reoccurring.