Arden House provides accommodation and personal care for people with a learning disability, for eight people. On the day of our inspection there were eight people living at the home.

The inspection took place on the 6 January 2016 and was unannounced.

There was a registered manager at this home. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered providers and registered managers 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 and their relatives said they were happy about the care people living at the home received. They told us staff were caring and promoted people’s independence. We saw people were able to maintain important relationships with family and friends and were encouraged to develop strong links with the community. People had food and drink they enjoyed and had choices available to them, to maintain a healthy diet. Staff knew the people who lived at the home well and were able to support them to eat and drink. People were protected against the risks associated with medicines because the provider had appropriate arrangements in place to manage them. People and relatives told us they had access to health professionals as soon as they were needed.

Staff we spoke with were aware of how to recognise signs of abuse, and systems were in place to guide them in reporting these. They were knowledgeable about how to manage people’s individual risks, and were able to respond to people’s needs. Staff had up to date knowledge and training to support people. We saw staff treated people with dignity and respect whilst supporting their needs. They knew people well, and were focussed on each person as an individual.

People felt involved in decisions about their care. Where support was identified as being needed, best interest decisions were made, involving family and health care professionals. Decisions were made in a least restrictive and lawful way, with applications to the local authority made when needed.

Relatives said they felt included in planning for the care their relative received and were always kept up to date with any concerns. People living at the home saw their friends and relatives as they wanted. People and their relatives knew how to raise complaints and felt confident that they would be listened to and action taken to resolve any concerns. Staff and the registered manager knew people well and were aware if people were unhappy. The registered manager had arrangements in place to ensure people were listened to and action taken if required.

The registered manager promoted an inclusive approach to providing care for people living at the home. Staff were encouraged to be involved in regular meetings to share their views and concerns about the quality of the service. The registered manager had systems in place to monitor how the service was provided, to ensure people received quality care.

We inspected Arden House and spoke with four people who used the service and three staff on duty. The registered manager had not been available on the day of the inspection. We spoke with the staff member acting as the deputy manager. We spent some time in communal areas of the home and observed the interaction between staff and people who used the service.

Staff told us that: “People are able to consent to their general day to day care” and: “We offer encouragement, but sometimes it’s their choice to refuse”. This meant that people were listened to and consented to the care and welfare they received.

People’s needs had been assessed and care and treatment was planned and delivered in line with their individual care plan. Staff told us they were aware of each person’s needs and how to give care and support to meet those needs. One person who used the service told us: “They look after me, I call them my friends”. When we spoke with staff they told us: “I have worked here a long time and I know them well”.

Staff told us that they had received training and were support in their role. We saw that they had completed courses that supported the needs of the people who used the service.

Records we saw had been reviewed and updated and kept securely to protect the information held about the people who used the service.

We were not able to speak with people during our inspection because they were not present for most of our visit. We had a brief opportunity to observe how staff interacted with people to support them in making decisions about their lifestyles. People were comfortable and relaxed when they talked with staff and they responded when staff asked them to prepare to go out into the community. We saw that people were moving freely around the home.

The two care files that we reviewed indicated that arrangements had been made to support people in receiving their health care needs. The care files included information about people's preferences about activities and accessing the community and how they were met. From discussions held with staff we found that people were well supported in leading a varied lifestyle that suited their individual preferences.

We found that systems were in place to keep people safe. Staff had received training in safeguarding people and knew how to respond to concerns. We found that staffing levels were flexible to meet people's identified personal care needs and support in the community.

We saw that the care files included a copy of the complaints procedure in pictorial format so that people understood their rights Staff told us if necessary, they would assist people who had communication difficulties in making a complaint by using an advocacy service to communicate on behalf of the complainant.