Ashleigh 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. Ashleigh can accommodate up to three people who have an autistic spectrum condition. At the time of our inspection three people were living there. People had their own bedrooms and shared a bathroom. They shared a lounge and dining facilities in the conservatory. Grounds around the property were accessible. The provider operated a day service in a nearby town which people attended.

Ashleigh had been developed and designed in line with the values that underpin the Registering the Right Support, Building 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 lived as ordinary a life as any citizen.

This inspection took place on 5th September 2018. At the last comprehensive inspection in October 2015 the service was rated as Good overall. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and on going 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.

At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

People’s care and support was highly individualised. They had lived together for a long time and had been supported by the same staff team providing them with consistency and continuity of care. They had positive relationships with staff, who understood them well, anticipating what would make them anxious or uncertain. Strategies were put in place to address any changes to their environment or daily life to help them cope with their responses and reactions to these. Risks were well managed promoting people’s independence. Staff knew how to keep them safe and how to raise safeguarding concerns. There were enough staff to meet their needs. This was kept under review as people’s needs changed.

People made choices about their day to day lives. 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. People were involved in the planning and review of their care and support. They chose the activities they wish to take part in. They said they liked to go swimming, horse riding and to the pub. They went on holidays and took trips to places of interest. They loved wildlife. Their garden had been set up with bird tables and feeders to encourage birds. They went to local arboretums and animal sanctuaries as well as attending a college course at a wildlife centre. People kept in touch with those important to them.

People were supported to stay healthy and well. They helped to plan their weekly menu. They prepared their own drinks and lunches. They liked to go out to a local café and pub. People had access to a range of health care professionals. They had annual health checks. People’s medicines were safely managed. People had access to easy to read information which used pictures and photographs to explain the text. Staff understood how they preferred to communicate encouraging them to express themselves in the way they found most comfortable.

People’s views were sought to monitor the quality of the service provided. They had information about how to raise a complaint. People, their relatives and staff were invited to give feedback through quality assurance surveys. The registered manager and provider completed a range of quality assurance audits to monitor and assess people’s experience of the service. Any actions identified for improvement were monitored to ensure they had been c

This inspection took place on 21 October 2015 and was announced. The previous inspection was carried out on 03 November 2013 and there had been no breaches of legal requirements at that time. We had no previous concerns prior to this inspection.

Ashleigh is registered to provide personal care and accommodation for up to three people. The service supports people with Autism or Asperger’s Syndrome. At the time of our inspection there were three people living in the service.

At the time of the inspection the service employed a registered manager and three care staff.

There was 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 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

The registered manager and staff understood their role and responsibilities to protect people from harm. Risks had been assessed and appropriate assessments were in place to reduce or eliminate the risk.

Staffing levels were sufficient to meet people’ needs and protect them from harm. The service carried out pre-employment checks on staff before they worked with people to assess their suitability.

All medicines were stored, administered and disposed of safely. The service had policies and procedures for dealing with medicines and these were adhered to.

The service was meeting the requirements of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards. Staff had received appropriate training, and had a good understanding of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards.

People were supported with their dietary and nutritional needs. People had access to a range of healthcare professionals.

The registered manager assessed and monitored the quality of the service provided for people. Systems were in place to check on the standards within the service. These included regular audits of care records, medicine management and health and safety.

People shared with us their experiences about living in the home and we observed and spoke with three people. Everyone expressed positive comments and enjoyed living at Ashleigh. People told us “I have lived here for 19 years and enjoy living here” and “I am supported to make decisions”.

The provider and two support staff were available throughout the inspection and were very knowledgeable about people in their care, the policies, procedures and systems in place to ensure the continued smooth running of the home.

We spent time in in the communal lounge and conservatory area with people who lived at the home so that we could observe the direct care, attention and support that they received. We observed here was constant interaction between staff and people in the home. People were relaxed, happy and comfortable in each other's company.

The people using the service had complex needs which meant that they were not able to directly tell us about their experiences. We therefore used a number of different methods to help us understand their life at the home. These included sitting near someone when they had their breakfast and observing their support, looking at their records and speaking with a member of staff who supported them and the visiting area manager.

During our visit to the home we saw that people looked relaxed and ‘at home’. People interacted with the member of staff on duty in a friendly manner the staff member was respectful and polite in their approach.

People were protected from the risk of abuse because appropriate procedures were in place and staff had received training in this area.

People were cared for, or supported by, suitably qualified and sufficient numbers of staff.

The provider had an effective system to regularly assess and monitor the quality of service that people received. The provider had a sound knowledge of the people they were providing a service for and systems were in place to ensure standards were maintained.