We inspected ASLS (Avens Limited) on 6 January 2016. The service provides support and personal care to adults with learning disabilities in their own homes. At the time of our inspection there were 25 people using the service.

There was a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) 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 told us they were safe. This was also the view of their relatives. Staff were knowledgeable about how to recognise the signs of abuse and report any concerns. Care was planned and delivered to ensure people were protected against abuse and avoidable harm. People had risk assessments which gave staff detailed information on how to manage the risks identified.

Staff were recruited using an appropriate recruitment procedure and relevant checks were carried out on staff before they were allowed to work with people.There was a sufficient number of suitable staff allocated to people to help keep them safe and meet their needs.

The provider supported staff through relevant training, supervision and appraisal which enabled staff to provide safe and effective care. People received their medicines safely. Staff controlled the risk and spread of infection by following the service’s infection control policy.

People were satisfied with the quality of care they received. Care plans provided information to staff about how to meet people’s individual needs. People were supported by staff who had the knowledge, skills and experience to deliver their care effectively. Staff worked with a variety of healthcare professionals to support people to maintain good health.

People spoke fondly about the staff and said they were kind and caring. People were treated with respect and were at the centre of decisions about their care. The provider listened to and learned from people’s experiences to improve the service.

Staff understood their roles and responsibilities. People felt able to contact the service’s office to discuss their care and staff were in regular contact with the registered manager. There were comprehensive systems in place to assess and monitor the quality of care people received.

The registered manager had worked in the adult social care sector for many years and understood what was necessary to provide a quality service.

On the day of our visit 20 people were supported with personal care in their homes. We looked at the records relating to their care and support and saw that people's wishes had been taken into account in planning their care. Risks to people's health had been assessed and managed and care was delivered in a way that promoted people's independence.

We looked at the provider's systems for administering medicines and found that medicines were given safely, in accordance with people's wishes. With regard to nutrition people were encouraged and supported to prepare healthy meals and drinks and maintain a healthy weight.

We spoke with three people about their care and support. One person told us "the staff are all very nice" and another said "I like my keyworker".

We spoke with three members of staff who all felt well trained and supported in their jobs. One member of staff said people were encouraged to be "as independent as they could".

During our visit we spoke with five members of staff and we observed staff supporting people who used the service. We also spoke with four people that used the service and made observations throughout the visit. We saw people being offered choices as to how they wanted to spend their day. People that used the service told us " I like the staff and feel safe here" and "I am very happy."

We saw people being addressed in a respectful manner. We looked at peoples individual support plans and saw that the information recorded enabled staff to plan and deliver the required level of care and support on an individual basis.

We saw that regular audits of the service were completed by the provider ensuring that people who used the service benefit from a service that monitors the quality of care that people received.

Staff told us that they had received regular training and that they felt that they were supported to carry out their roles and meet the needs of people who used the service.

People that used the service told us " I like the staff and feel safe here" and "I am very happy."

We did not speak to people using the service on this occasion.

People told us they were involved in decisions about their support and day to day things such as what to do. People said they knew about their support plan and was happy with the support they received. Some details in the care records were not up to date. People told us the food was good and on the whole they did the planning, shopping, preparation and cooking of meals. People were encouraged to manage their own medication. People confirmed the house was always clean and tidy and that they on the whole did the cleaning. The staff team was stable. People told us the staff were all very kind and caring. Staff were recruited in a safe way and people confirmed there was always sufficient staff was on duty to meet their needs. Staff had received training. The service did checks to ensure things ran smoothly and people were satisfied with their care and support. People felt confident to raise concerns but did not have any. Records were stored appropriately and safely.