This inspection took place on 30 June 2016 and was unannounced.

21 Shirlett Close provides residential care for up to four people who have learning disabilities or autistic spectrum disorder. The service is a single story building, with bedrooms and communal areas located on the ground floor. At the time of our inspection visit four people used the service.

A registered manager was 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.

Relatives told us 21 Shirlett Close was a safe place to live and people were well cared for. People were supported by staff who knew how to keep people safe and were aware of how to report any safeguarding concerns. Risks to people’s health and wellbeing were assessed and staff were informed of how to minimise any identified risks. People received their medicines as prescribed from staff who had received training to do this safely and who had regular checks of their competencies.

There were enough staff to support people who lived in the home and they were available at the times people needed them. When staff were recruited to work at the home checks were carried out to ensure their suitability to work with people who lived there. Staff received training so that they had the skills and knowledge of how to meet the specific needs of people who lived at the home. Staff supported people to maintain their health and made referrals to healthcare professionals when needed.

People were supported in line with the principles of the Mental Capacity Act. The manager understood the importance of applying for Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) when necessary. Staff ensured they maintained people’s privacy and dignity, and treated people with compassion and respect.

People’s preferences were considered in all aspects of care they received. People were offered a choice of meals based on their preferences and dietary requirements. People were supported to pursue their individual hobbies and interests and to maintain relationships with people who were important to them.

People and relatives knew who the registered manager was and told us that they were approachable. Staff told us that they felt supported by the registered manager. People and their relatives knew how to raise complaints and were confident that the registered manager would take actions in response to these.

The registered manager and provider monitored the quality and safety of the service provided and actions were taken to drive forward improvements at the service.

We spoke with one person living at 21 Shirlett Close as most people were unable to tell us about their experiences of the service. We therefore spoke with two family members and observed the care being provided to people. We also spoke with three members of staff who supported people.

We found family members were involved with providing their consent regarding their relatives planning of care.

Relatives we spoke with told us that the care that was discussed with them matched the care that was being provided to their family members. They also told us they were regularly kept up to date about the changes to their family member’s care.

We saw that the care plans were person centred and reflected people’s individual needs. We noted staff were compassionate and caring when supporting people. We found that staff had involved appropriate health professionals to review people’s support needs and to help support that person.

We noted the home was clean and there was a cleaning schedule which staff followed. We saw checks were made to review the cleanliness of the home.

We saw the provider ensured that the appropriate checks were undertaken before a new member of staff was employed. The manager showed us the induction plan which new staff had to complete during their employment at 21 Shirlett Close.

We found the service was well led and had systems in place to monitor the quality of service being provided.

We saw there were four people living at 21 Shirlett Close and they were unable tell us about their experiences. We therefore spoke with a family member and observed the care being provided to people. We also spoke with two members of staff who supported people.

A relative we spoke with told us that the care that was discussed with them matched the care that was being provided to their family member. They also told us they were regularly kept up to date about the changes to their family member’s care.

We saw that the care plans were person centred and reflected the people’s individual needs. We saw members of staff supported people as detailed within their care plans. We saw care plans were easy to read and had pictures to help people understand their care plan.

A relative we spoke with told us that staff were friendly and supported the needs of their family member well. We saw staff knew what people's care needs were and how they needed to be supported.

We spoke with the staff members about what they thought abuse was and they showed they had a good awareness of the importance of keeping people safe. They understood their responsibilities for reporting any concerns regarding potential abuse.

We saw the provider had a system in place to monitor the quality of the service provided. We saw their had been resident and relative surveys completed during 2011. These had been analysed to identify where any areas of improvement might be required.