The inspection took place on 26 January 2018 We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection visit because it is small and the registered manager is often out of the office supporting staff or providing care. We needed to be sure that they would be in.

Ariya Neuro Care Supported Living Limited is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people with an acquired brain injury living in their own houses and flats in the community. At the time of the inspection, four people were receiving personal care from the provider.

The service had a registered manager in post at the time of our 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People using the service praised the quality of the care they received. They told us they felt staff were knowledgeable and respectful. External professionals who worked alongside the service echoed this, telling us that they would recommend the service to other professionals and potential service users.

People were placed at the heart of the service. The registered manager and nominated individual were prominent role models and staff as well as external healthcare professionals confirmed this. They took a leading role in demonstrating the values and standards they expected staff to embody by focussing on continuous improvement leading to positive outcomes for people.

Staff we spoke with spoke highly of the management support they received, and of how the values of the service were embodied by the registered manager and nominated individuals actions.

The provider undertook regular audits and assessments to ensure the service provided was of a high quality, and there were systems in place for addressing any shortfalls and implementing improvements. This was a “live” programme focussed on continuous improvement and attaining the highest standards of care possible.

External healthcare professionals told us that the provider found creative solutions to meet people's needs. Imaginative and thoughtful solutions were developed, in partnership with people using the service, to assist people to develop skills and live their lives as independently as possible.

There were systems in place to reduce the risk of abuse and to assess and monitor potential risks to individual people. Staff had received appropriate training in relation to protecting people from the risk of abuse.

Recruitment processes were robust, which helped the employer make safer recruitment decisions when employing new staff.

The provider acted in accordance with the Mental Capacity Act, and assessments of people’s capacity were undertaken when their care was planned. Staff had received appropriate training in relation to this.

Staff praised the training that they received and told us it equipped them to undertake their role. Training records showed that staff received a range of training and many held nationally recognised qualifications in care.