Abbotts Road provides accommodation and personal care for up to four younger adults with learning disabilities or autistic spectrum disorder. At the time of our inspection there were 4 people living at the home. At the last inspection, in August 2015, the service was rated Good. At this inspection we found that the service remained Good.

We had the opportunity to talk directly with one person who lived at the home on the day of the inspection. We have therefore not used quotes within this report and the examples we have given are brief because we respect people's right to confidentiality.

People continued to be protected from the risk of harm by staff who understood the risks to people’s safety. People received care in ways which helped them to remain as safe as possible and supported them to try new things to enjoy. There was enough staff to care for people and to meet their needs. People received their prescribed medicines safely, and staff worked with health professionals to reduce the use of medicines when this benefited people.

The care that people received continued to be effective. Staff received training which matched the needs of people who lived at the home. Staff checked people wanted care before helping them. Support was available to people if they needed help making key decisions about their life, and relatives were consulted. People were supported to access to health care services so they would stay well and enjoyed their mealtime experiences.

People had built caring relationships with the staff supporting them and were encouraged to make their own decisions and these were respected by staff. People were treated with dignity and some people enjoyed maintaining and developing their independence, including preparing some of their own drinks.

People and their relatives’ and staff suggestions were listened to when people’s care was planned. Systems were in place to manage complaints, so the care provided to people would develop further. People’s spiritual and cultural needs were met and people were encouraged to spend time doing things they enjoyed, so their well-being was enhanced.

People’s relatives and staff told us communication with the registered manager and senior team was good. People, their relatives and staff were positive about the way the home was managed, and were comfortable to let the registered manager know their views on the care provided. The registered manager worked with people, their relatives and other organisations in an open way so people would enjoy the best well-being possible. Regular checks were in place to assess and monitor the quality of the service, and action plans completed to drive through improvements in the care people received.

This inspection took place on 17 August 2015 and was unannounced. This is the first inspection of the home since it was registered with us in April 2014 under their new provider Voyage 1 Limited.

The home is registered to provide accommodation and personal care to up to four people at any time. The home provides care to adults with a learning disability and / or autistic spectrum disorders. At the time of our inspection there were four people living there.

The location is required to have a registered manager 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run. At the time of this inspection the home had a registered manager in post. The registered manager shares their time between this home and another of the provider’s homes close by.

Staff had been trained to safeguard people from abuse and avoidable harm. Risks of harm to people receiving the service had been assessed and recorded. People’s medicine was administered safely.

Staffing levels were determined according to people’s needs. We found there were sufficient numbers of staff on shift to meet people’s needs. There were procedures in place to recruit suitable staff to work with people living at the home.

Staff were supported to gain the skills and knowledge to care and support people. Staff were inducted into their job role and received training. The provider protected the rights of people.

People were supported by staff to access health and social care professionals whenever needed. Staff followed the advice and guidance of health care professionals.

Staff were caring and treated people with dignity and respect.

People were relaxed with the staff supporting and interacting with them.

Relatives felt they could speak to the staff and the registered manager about any concerns that they had and that they would be listened to and their concern addressed.

The provider had quality assurance systems in place to monitor the care and support people received.