The service provides residential care for up to six adults who have learning or physical disabilities. At the time of our inspection there were six people using the service. The care service has been developed and designed in line with the values that underpin the Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These values include choice, promotion of independence and inclusion. People with learning disabilities and autism using the service can live as ordinary a life as any citizen.

The service was last inspected in October 2015 and was rated Good.

The inspection took place on 17 January 2018 and was announced. The provider was given 24 hours’ notice to ensure people were available to meet us during the inspection.

The service did not have 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 . The acting manager had made their application to the Care Quality Commission to become the registered manager.

The service was safe and had practices in place to protect people from harm. Staff had training in safeguarding adults from abuse and knew what to do if they had any concerns and how to report them.

Risk assessments were personalised and robust to keep people safe from harm. Staff had the information they needed to mitigate risks.

Staffing levels were adequate to meet the needs of people who used the service and cover arrangements were in place if there were any absences.

Recruitment practices were safe to ensure staff were suitable for working in the caring profession.

Medicines were managed and stored safely. Support workers were only permitted to administer medicines after they had undertaken training and were assessed as competent to do so.

The service was clean and free of malodour. People were protected from the spread of infection due to a robust cleaning schedule.

The service documented incidents accurately and learned from them in order to put procedures in place to prevent them from reoccurring.

Training for care staff was provided on a regular basis. Staff spoke positively about the training they received.

Staff had a good understanding of the Mental Capacity Act (2005) and how to obtain consent on a daily basis.

People were supported to maintain a balanced diet and had a choice of food and beverages.

People were supported to have access to healthcare services and receive on-going support. The provider made referrals to healthcare professionals when necessary and advice from healthcare professionals was followed.

Staff demonstrated a caring and supportive approach towards people who used the service and we observed positive interactions and rapport between them.

The provider promoted the independence of the people who used the service and people felt respected and treated with dignity.

Care plans were reviewed every six months and any changes were documented accordingly.

Concerns and complaints were encouraged and listened to and records confirmed this. Relatives of people who used the service told us they knew how to make a complaint.

The acting manager had a positive relationship with staff and people who used the service. Staff spoke positively about the acting manager and their management style.

The provider had quality assurance methods in place and carried out regular audits to improve the service.

.

This inspection took place on 7 October 2015 and was unannounced. The previous inspection was on 17 October 2013 and the service was meeting all standards inspected at that time.

This care home provides accommodation and care to up to six people who have a learning disability, who also have a physical disability and associated health conditions. Four of the six people use a wheelchair at all times. At the time of this inspection there were three men and three women living in the home in single bedrooms with en-suite facilities and the equipment needed to support them such as hoists and a lift.

The service 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. The provider, Heritage Care Ltd, runs twenty-eight registered care services.

We found people were cared for by staff who knew their needs well. Staff supported people with their physical and health needs, medicines, personal care and leisure needs. Staff knew people well including their individual likes and dislikes.

People’s care plans contained information setting out how each person should be supported. People living in the home had limited communication so staff ensured they got to know them well and involved their families in planning their care.

Senior staff from Heritage Care Ltd visited the home on a regular basis to carry out audits and tell the registered manager what improvements were needed. They then checked if the improvements were made at the next meeting.

We found this service was meeting all the regulations inspected and providing a good standard of care.

We were unable to communicate directly with any of the people who lived at this service as each person used non-verbal means of communication. However, we spent time with people and we observed them to be, as far as we were able to interpret, relaxed and content.

In order to gain an independent and external view on the quality of the service being provided at this service, we consulted two separate family members. One family member told us that the quality of the service was "quite good." This same person commented on concerns when regular staff were unavailable and temporary or agency staff had to be used.

Additional comments made to us by a relative related to lack of in-house activities.

People who used this service experienced effective, safe and appropriate care because their needs were assessed and their support was planned and delivered to ensure their welfare was protected and their needs were met.

People who used this service had their nutritional needs met and there was a range of variety and choices available to them.

Staff had received safeguarding of vulnerable adults training and knew how to report any concerns they had.

People who used this service were provided with equipment which had been properly assessed and for which staff had been trained to use when supporting them.

Staff were properly supported by the home when they were first inducted into their role and managers regularly and appropriately supervised staff.

People who used this service were supported in a home which took steps to continuously assess and monitor the quality of the service being provided.

We met and spoke with five of the people who use the service. They had complex needs which meant they were not able to tell us about their experiences. Therefore in addition we used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI). SOFI is a specific way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us.

People were relaxed and at ease within the home, and indicated that they were provided with the care that they needed. We saw people being given choices, and noted that they had formed good and supportive relationships with staff.

People’s privacy and dignity were respected within the home, and they received appropriate support to meet their needs, including personal and health care needs, and support to engage in a variety of activities.

The home environment was suitable for people with mobility needs, and was clean, comfortable and maintained appropriately.

There were sufficient staff working in the home to meet people’s needs, and appropriate quality assurance procedures were in place to ensure that people received care and support of an appropriate standard.