31 Woodbourne Avenue is a residential care home that provides personal care and accommodation for up to eight adults with a learning disability. At the time of inspection seven women were using the service.

At the last inspection, the service was rated Good.

At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

At the time of the inspection the service had a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the CQC 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.

Staff followed the service’s policies and procedures to protect people from a potential harm and abuse. Care plans were linked to risk assessments to guide staff on the support people required to stay safe. Robust systems were in place to check staff’s suitability for the post before they started working with people. When necessary, cover was provided to ensure adequate staffing levels at the service. Staff were trained and followed the service’s requirements on how to manage medicines safely.

Staff were provided with appropriate training for their role. The service followed Mental Capacity Act (2005) principles and applied for authorisations under the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). Staff supported people to book and attend their health appointments as necessary. People made choices about the food they wanted to eat. Staff received support to carry out their responsibilities as necessary. However, the staff team was not provided with regular supervision meetings.

Staff attended to people’s needs with care and supported them to communicate according to their individual needs. People were assisted to make changes to their activities and went out in the community regularly. Staff enhanced people’s skills to carry out tasks independently where possible.

People’s care records were suitably maintained and up-to-date. Staff involved people in making decisions about the support they wanted to receive. People and their relatives felt confident to talk to the staff team about their concerns and the changes they wanted to make.

The registered manager had support from a team leader to manage the service on a day-to-day basis. Staff were encouraged to develop the service and make suggestions to improve people’s care. Staff surveys indicated poor communication from the management team. More information will be gathered to address this area. Regular audits took place to monitor the service’s performance. Medicine audits were not recorded appropriately and this will be addressed by the management team.

We met with all the people using the service. People told us they were involved in their care, and felt that they were well cared for.

One person told us "this is the only home I know, I cannot imagine anywhere better to live, it is all that I want".

Another person told us "I am well cared for, I have become more independent but I still need the presence of staff to ensure I am safe should I have seizure."

People were encouraged and supported to lead fulfilling lifestyles, and had opportunities to undertake activities of daily living for themselves, some enjoyed taking in part in college courses and improving their educational skills.

A person returned from college expressing delight at their success in a maths exam, staff responded by acknowledging their achievements and complimenting them on their hard work.

Each person using the service had their support plan tailored to suit their needs; staff were familiar with individual support needs and risks associated with individual conditions. They delivered the care and support people needed.

Staff demonstrated knowledge in recognising potential signs of abuse. We saw people had assistance to help them manage their finances safely.

People using the service were including in the process of recruiting and selecting new staff. Recruitment procedures were robust and staff were vetted fully before they were appointed to work at the home.

We spoke with seven of the people using the service when we visited. All were complimentary about the home and expressed satisfaction with the care and support they received from staff. People told us they had support that promoted their health care needs, they had regular health checks and attended appointments with health professionals.

People told us they enjoyed their lives and took part in activities they liked both at home and in the community. One person said "I like my home. I am among my friends that I have known for a long time. The house is close to the high road and to the shops and public transport".

One person told us about their involvement in local authority forums, they represented the views of other people and discussed what community services people needed.

A person using the service told us "I have voluntary work two days a week in a charity shop. I look forward to this and enjoy the work involved".

We saw that staff were enthusiastic about supporting people with pursuing lifestyles of their own choosing. For example, one person told us they enjoyed the theatre and had booked tickets for themselves and their friends to see a show as a birthday treat.

People spoken with expressed their sense of satisfaction with the service, the following comments are a sample of those we received, "We are very happy here, we are like a big family that we care about each other, the majority us have lived together for many years before we moved here", "This is friendly home where every person is valued and respected, the staff are kind and helpful, they encourage and support us to do tasks that we find difficult".

People are empowered to lead fulfilling lifestyles. They engage in further education courses and some do voluntary work, all participate in meaningful activities and leisure pursuits.

Individuals get the support they need to take risks that enable them to stay independent. Those using the service are asked about, and are involved in, all aspects of life in the home.

People receive personal support from staff in the way they prefer and want. They find that physical and emotional health needs are met because the home has procedures in place that staff follow. Issues or concerns are responded to promptly by staff and where appropriate referred to relevant health professionals.

People’s opinions are central to how the home develops and reviews their practice.

The home has appropriate ways of making sure they continue to get things right. The

environment is safe for people and staff because health and safety checks are carried out.