11 Tooting Bec Gardens is a residential care home for up to seven women who have a learning disability. At the time of inspection six people were using the service.

At the last inspection, the service was rated Good.

At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

Staff were knowledgeable and followed the safeguarding procedures to ensure that people stayed safe from potential harm and abuse. Staff levels were adequate to people’s care and support needs. Appropriate medication procedures were followed to ensure that people had the required support to take their medicines as prescribed.

Staff received training that was appropriate for their role. People were supported to have choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. People’s nutritional needs were assessed and staff supported them to eat and drink as necessary.

11 Tooting Bec Gardens provided a homely environment for people. The service encouraged people’s social inclusion in the community. Staff were kind and respected people’s individual care needs, including their ability to carry out tasks independently.

People were involved in identifying and reviewing their individual needs. Care records were robust and reflected the support people required to remain safe. People and their families were encouraged to provide feedback about the service and the staff team acted on the suggestions made.

Staff were supported to develop and question the practice to make improvements. The registered manager provided good leadership at the service. Regular audits took place to ensure good care delivery for people.

This unannounced inspection took place on 10 September 2015. The last inspection of 11 Tooting Bec Gardens took place on 28 August 2013 and met all the regulations inspected.

The service provides care and accommodation to seven people who have a learning disability.

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 received safe care and support and received their medicines as prescribed. People were supported by caring and polite staff in a friendly and comfortable environment. People and their relatives were happy with the service and gave positive feedback on how care and support was provided. One person told us, “This is my home and I like it here”. People were treated with respect and dignity by staff who supported them.

People’s needs were identified and assessed. Records showed people and their relatives were involved in the planning of their care and support. Staff prepared individualised care plans to meet people’s needs. People received support from staff who understood their health needs.

The registered manager carried out risk assessments. These were reviewed regularly to accurately reflect people’s changing needs. Staff had sufficient guidance to manage identified risks safely.

People’s consent was sought before they received support and care from staff. Staff followed the legal requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS).

People were supported by a consistent, knowledgeable and motivated staff team. The registered manager provided effective leadership and guidance and ensured staff received on-going training.

Staff received regular supervisions and appraisals and used feedback to improve their practice.

People were involved in the running of the home through regular meetings organised by the registered manager. People and their relatives found the registered manager approachable and supportive.

People had access to healthcare services when needed. People had sufficient nutrition and hydration and enjoyed their meals.

The registered manager held regular joint people and relatives meetings and carried out surveys to seek feedback on the quality of care and support they received. Records showed the registered manager took into account people’s views and used them to develop the service.

People’s complaints were acknowledged and swiftly addressed by the registered manager using the service’s complaints procedure. People and their relatives were satisfied with how the complaints were investigated and resolved.

The registered manager monitored the quality of the service and effectively used audit systems in place to continuously improve the care and support provided to people.

People using the service told us how much they like their home, they made comments such as, "it is a lovely homely place and I cannot imagine living anywhere else", "my friends live here we are like a family", " we have staff that are supportive and familiar to us".

People using the service were aware of the choices available to them and they were involved in making decisions about their care. People were encouraged to be independent and access the community. There were a range of activities available and people were given the support to develop their daily living skills.

People had their health and social care needs met, care and support plans were regularly reviewed and care arrangements were updated to respond to any changes in need.

People were supported with consultations with health professionals.

The service had sufficient numbers of qualified and experienced staff to meet the needs of people using the service

The provider had processes in place to monitor the quality and safety of the service with regular and frequent health and safety checks completed. We also saw that incidents had been appropriately reported and risk assessments had been updated in response to an incident when required.

We spoke with all seven people using the service. Individuals felt comfortable expressing their views. They told us they felt safe and that they enjoyed their lifestyle. They found that they had become more independent and staff helped them with tasks they found difficult.

People told us they were able to express themselves and were confident they could raise any issues, a person said "I find that staff are approachable and easy to talk to".

A person told us they had had enjoyed their holiday, they said, “Staff helped me to plan my holiday at Butlins, myself and my friend really enjoyed our time at the holiday camp and we had our support staff present throughout to help us enjoy our time”.

A person told us that they lived together as a community for many years, they said, “This home is a lovely place to live, all of us living here get on well usually, we understand each other's likes and dislikes".

People living in the home found that they had support to do meaningful things they liked, such as part time employment and attending music therapy and college courses.

A person spoke of their confidence at cooking, they said "I go to college twice a week and have learned how to cook, I take my turn and help prepare the meals one day a week".

People said that they enjoy living in an environment that radiates warmth and kindness, and that is open and positive. Comments from people included the following, “We know each other very well, the majority of us have lived together for years, it feels like a big family”,

People feel able to express themselves and can raise issues regardless of how trivial they are. We heard from a person how the home has made a difference to her life, “I find that the house has the type of staff that are easy to talk to, and that understand how I feel”.

We heard that staff provide a consistent service that gives the security and confidence which people feel is very important to them.

Others expressed their pleasure at living in this home,

“It is a safe and friendly place to live, with very good care”.

‘It is a homely environment and the residents are happy and sociable here.’

People find that the service successfully supports them with developing confidence and self esteem.

People feel empowered, and are encouraged and supported to take part in activities that they enjoy.

The people who live at the home know who to talk to if there is anything worrying them.