This inspection took place on 30 July 2018 and was announced. We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection visit because the location provides a domiciliary care service and we needed to be sure that someone was available to talk to us. At our last inspection we rated the service good. 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 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.

This service provides care and support to people living in two ‘supported living’ settings, so that they can live as independently as possible. People’s care and housing are provided under separate contractual agreements. CQC does not regulate premises used for supported living; this inspection looked at people’s personal care and support. Ashness domiciliary care agency provides support to people living in Haringey with mental health needs. At the time of our inspection the service was providing support to 19 people living in the community and 10 people living in supported living accommodation. The support provided by the service includes prompting and encouraging people in areas such as, activities and taking their medication and healthy eating to manage their well-being and assist them to maintain and develop their independence.

At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

People said they felt safe using the service and the service promoted and maintained their dignity.

People received care that was safe and safeguarding practices protected people from the risk of abuse. Staff were subjected to the necessary checks before starting work. Staff received training and supervision to enable them to effectively carry out their roles. There was a process for dealing and acting on incidents and accidents. However, we have made a recommendation in relation to lessons learnt from incidents.

Medicines were managed safely and people received their medicines as prescribed. Staff wore appropriate protection equipment to prevent the risk of spread of infection.

Risk assessments were in place and identified risks posed to people and others. However, we have recommended that the service approaches a reputable source in relation to identifying and documenting specific risks such as risks related to epilepsy.

People using the service signed to give their consent to care and treatment. People are supported to maximise choice and control of their lives and staff support them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service support this practice.

People’s cultural and religious needs were respected when planning and delivering care. Staff respected people’s sexual orientation and needs so that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people could feel accepted and welcomed when receiving a service. People took part in a variety of activities and hobbies of their interests.

Staff told us the registered manager and other senior staff were approachable and listened to concerns. The service had obtained feedback from people using the service and carried out quality assurance in respect of service delivery.

Ashness Domiciliary Care agency is based in Haringey. At the time of this inspection, they provided a floating support service to 25 people living in their own homes and 10 people living in supported living accommodation. Ashness domicilary care agency provides support to people with mental health needs who require support to maintain and develop their independence. This includes prompting people to take their medicines, engaging them in activities and assisting them to maintain their wellbeing and independence.

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

This inspection took place on the 25 February 2016 and 26 February 2016 and was announced.

There were systems in place to keep people safe and people told us they felt safe and happy.

Staff attended relevant training and felt they were supported by the management team through supervision. Staff were subject to the necessary checks before working for the service.

Staff were proactive in working with other healthcare professionals to meet the individual needs of people using the service. Staff completed an annual physical health check with each person to help people to identify their health goals for themselves.

People were involved in their care and felt staff treated them with dignity and respect. Staff knew people well and had an understanding of their individual support needs. Staff provided support as required, such as reminding people to take their medicines and assisting people with cooking their meals.

Staff were responsive to people’s individual needs and their independence maintained. People were encouraged to take part in activities of their choice.

Assessments were carried out to identify people’s support needs before the support started. These had been agreed with people to ensure the agency provided the care and support people needed. Care plans identified people’s specific needs.

People’s risks were assessed and people were encouraged to take positive risks to maintain their independence. Although staff knew people well, control measures for managing risks were not always accurately documented.

People staff felt listened to and that the service was well run. Systems were in place to monitor the quality of the service.

We met with three people who use the service and spoke to one person on the telephone. We offered to meet or speak to the other six people who use this service but they chose not to speak to us.

All the people we spoke to told us they were happy with the service provided. One person said, “I find their support invaluable” and said the service was “second to none.” Other comments included, “I am very pleased” and “I am 100% happy. Staff are always there when you need them.”

We visited a supported living project which was managed by Ashness Care Ltd where we met two staff and four people who were living there. Five people lived in the project supported by one staff 24 hours a day. We also spoke to one person who lived independently and the relative of another person using the service who lived in another supported living project. We also spoke with two people responsible for coordinating the care and treatment of people using the service. People were very positive about Ashness Domiciliary Care. Comments included; "I am happy here" and "Nothing could be improved, nothing is wrong."

People told us that staff supported them well with health appointments, their finances and other personal matters. They said they liked the staff and thought staff understood their needs. One person said a staff member at the supported living project was "on the ball." One person said they were "delighted with what they have done."

People felt that the provider and manager had good knowledge of their needs and were committed to the people using their service. One person said, "they do what they say they will do."

The provider cooperated with other providers to meet people's needs.

There had been a medication error prior to the inspection and improvements were needed to the recording and management of medication. The provider made the necessary improvements to protect people from the risks associated with medication.