We inspected this service on 15 October 2018. The inspection was un-announced.

Arden Croft provides accommodation and personal care for up to four people with learning disabilities and autism. On the day of our inspection four people were using the service.

Arden Croft is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

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.

At the last inspection in February 2016 this service was rated good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the overall rating of good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns.

This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

A registered manager was in post, but was not available on the day of inspection. 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.

People were safe. Risk assessments were in place to cover any risks present. We saw that staff had been appropriately recruited in to the service and security checks had taken place. There were enough staff to provide care and support to people to meet their needs. People received their prescribed medicines safely.

The care that people received continued to be effective. Staff had access to the support, supervision, training and ongoing professional development that they required to work effectively in their roles. People were supported to maintain good health and nutrition.

People’s relationships with staff were positive and caring. We saw that staff treated people with respect, kindness and courtesy. People had detailed personalised plans of care in place to enable staff to provide consistent care and support in line with people’s personal preferences.

The provider had implemented effective systems to manage any complaints that they may receive.

The service had a positive ethos and an open and honest culture. People and their family members were able to feedback about the service and any concerns identified were acted upon.

This inspection took place on 4 February 2016. The inspection was announced 48 hours before we visited to establish if people living at the service would be available to talk with us and to discuss if our presence may cause anxiety to people.

Arden Croft is registered to provide accommodation and personal care within a residential setting to a maximum of four people. There were four people using the service at the time of our inspection. This included people with a learning disability and autism.

The service consists of one house. Four people lived in the house where the registered manager’s office was also situated.

A requirement of the provider’s registration is that they 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. At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager at the service.

A new manager had recently been employed at Arden Croft and was working alongside the registered manager. They were in the process of registering with us and would then be responsible for the running of the home.

Relatives told us they felt people were safe at Arden Croft. The registered manager and staff understood how to protect people they supported from abuse, and knew what procedures to follow to report any concerns. Staff had a good understanding of risks associated with people’s care needs and how to support them.

There were enough staff at Arden Croft to support people safely and at the times they preferred. Recruitment procedures made sure staff were of a suitable character to care for people at the home.

Medicines were stored and administered safely, and people received their medicines as prescribed. Regular audits were carried out of medicines to ensure they were managed in line with good practice guidelines. People were supported to attend health care appointments when they needed to maintain their health and wellbeing.

Staff were kind and supportive to people’s needs and people’s privacy and dignity was respected. People were encouraged to be independent in assisting with tasks around the home and shopping.

The management and staff teams understood the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS), and supported people in line with these principles. People were supported to make everyday decisions themselves, which helped them to maintain their independence. Where people were not able to make decisions, relatives and healthcare professionals were consulted for their advice and input.

People were supported to pursue their hobbies and interests both within and outside the home. Activities were arranged according to people’s individual preferences, needs and abilities and staff were keen to explore a variety of new activities for people. People who lived at Arden Croft were encouraged to maintain links with friends and family who visited them at the home.

A team leader supported the new manager in the running of the home and assisted with supporting staff and conducting quality monitoring audits.

Relatives knew how to make a formal complaint and were able to discuss any concerns they had with staff. At the time of our inspection no complaints had been received. However the provider, monitored complaints from their other services to identify any areas where improvements could be made to the provision of care at Arden Croft.

Staff felt the management team were supportive and promoted an open culture within the home. Staff were able to discuss their own development and best practice in supervision and during regular team meetings. A programme of training and induction provided staff with the skills and knowledge to meet people’s needs.

The regi

There were three people living at Arden Croft when we visited. The people living at the home were unable to communicate with us verbally. We spent time observing how staff supported people within the home. We also spoke with two members of staff and the manager who was responsible for the day to day running of the home.

We spoke with a relative of someone who lived at the home. They told us "They've responded to my feedback. I am happy with them....my relative always seems happy."

During our visit we saw staff supporting people with care and consideration. We saw people choosing to take part in activities outside the home. One person was using a sensory room during our visit. We saw another person getting ready to go out for the day. This meant staff respected people's decisions about where they wanted to be and what they wanted to do.

Care plans were clear and detailed what support staff needed to provide. Staff we spoke with were knowledgeable about the care needs of individuals. We saw that the service referred people to other health care professionals as and when necessary.

There were sufficient numbers of staff to provide individual care and support to people who used the service.

We saw systems were in place to assess the quality of the service provided.

We carried out this inspection to check on the care and welfare of people using the service. We visited Arden Croft on 14 May 2012. There were four people living in the home at the time of this visit. No one knew we would be visiting. Most of the people living in the home had complex communication needs and were unable to express their views to us. On the day we visited two people became concerned at our presence. In order to minimise their anxiety and any associated behaviours, we agreed to spread our visit over two days. We returned to complete our visit on 16 May 2012. We spoke to three members of staff and the manager.

During our visits we saw that staff treated people with respect and understood how to communicate with them. People were encouraged to develop their independent living skills.

People's records provided staff with clear information so they could meet people's needs in the way that they preferred. Staff dealt calmly with challenging behaviours.

Medicines were stored safely. Staff were assessed to ensure they were competent to administer medication correctly.

Staff received a range of training and told us they felt supported in their roles. One member of staff told us, "I see this place as my second home."

There was an effective complaints system which was in a format accessible to the people who lived at Arden Croft.

People living at Arden Croft have complex communication needs. We used a variety of methods to understand their experiences of living in the home.

We used Makaton (a sign language system) and observed their interaction with staff. We talked to staff and managers as well as a visitor and a social care professional.

People signed to us that the staff team and the home were "good."

People were clearly comfortable and relaxed with the staff team on duty. They showed this by seeking out staff members' company and smiling and laughing with them.

The two members of staff and three managers we spoke with were knowledgeable about people's needs and understood how to communicate with them and respond to situations that could cause people anxiety or distress.

Considerable effort had been made to ensure people were involved in the day to day running of the home and to provide information to people in a way they could understand.

A social care professional told us he was impressed with the management of the home and felt that people had benefited from living there.