About the service: Ambito Community Services Brighton provides personal care at home. At the time of the inspection two people were receiving personal care. People using the service were living with a learning disability and/or autism and had other complex needs such as communication needs and sensory impairment.

People’s experience of using this service: Relatives we spoke with were positive about the standard of care and about staff that delivered the service. A relative told us, “It’s the best service that I as a parent could wish for.” Another relative said to us, “I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them – they’re a welcome part of our lives.”

Staff completed training that was driven by the needs of the people and were experienced in their roles to provide effective care to people. Relatives told us they felt confident in the experience and knowledge of staff, a relative said to us, “‘It takes a special kind of person – this isn’t just a job that needs doing, it’s a person with very complicated issues and they get that.” Staff received regular supervisions and an annual appraisal.

People were kept safe and were supported by staff who were trained to recognise the signs of any potential abuse. Staff had been trained in safeguarding and knew what action to take if they had any concerns about people’s safety or welfare. People’s risks were identified and assessed appropriately.

The provider’s quality assurance team and the area manager carried out audits which the registered manager used to improve the service. The registered manager and senior staff also monitored the quality of care and the service.

People were consistently supported by staff they knew well. A relative told us, “It’s so good to have people that respect our home and are happy to have a relationship with me and family as well. There are no divisions – we are all part of life."

There were sufficient staff to meet people’s needs and spend time with people. This enabled people to engage with activities, access the community and to live their lives as independently as possible. People were supported by staff whose suitability was checked through a robust recruitment process.

People were supported to have maximum 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.

Relatives told us they were able to feedback about the service by talking to the registered manager.

People received personalised care that was tailored to meet their individual needs, preferences and choices. Care plans were detailed and guided staff about people’s needs and how to meet them. Staff supported people to make choices and to live as independently as possible. No complaints had been received at the time of the inspection. No-one required end of life care at the time of the inspection.

This service met the characteristics of Good. More information is in the full report.

Rating at last inspection: This was the first inspection of Ambito Community Services Brighton since it was registered, after the provider changed, by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) on 4 May 2018. New services are assessed to check they are likely to be safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led when registering.

Why we inspected: This was a planned comprehensive inspection that was scheduled to take place in line with Care Quality Commission (CQC) scheduling guidelines for adult social care services.

Follow up: We will review the service in line with our methodology for 'Good' services.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk