Astbury View provides accommodation with personal care for up to 9 people living with a learning disability. There were 9 people living at the home at the time of the inspection. At the last inspection, the service was rated Good. At this inspection the service remained Good.

There was a registered manager in place. 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.

People’s safety was promoted by staff who understood how to keep them safe. Staff had received training and relatives felt assured that their family members were safe at the home. Staff were available to meet people’s needs and staff understood how to best support people and the risks to their health. People were supported to have their medicines and regular checks were made to ensure staff supported people with their medicines appropriately.

Staff were supported with access to regular supervision and feedback on their performance. 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 enjoyed choices in the meals and drinks they were offered. Where people required additional support from healthcare professionals, staff followed instructions given to them and incorporated the guidance in the day to day care people received.

People’s care needs were assessed and updated based on their changing circumstances and needs. Staff understood the activities people liked and supported them to participate. Relatives we spoke with understood how to raise their concerns and felt able to speak with staff and the registered manager.

Staff felt able to access advice and guidance from the Registered Manager. The registered manager had systems in place to review and update people’s care, whilst also ensuring staff were kept up to date of changes. The registered provider also had systems to assure themselves of the quality of care being delivered.

Further information is in the detailed findings below

This unannounced inspection took place on 5 May 2015. At our last inspection on 4 December 2013 we found the provider was meeting the requirements of the regulations we inspected.

Astbury View is a residential home providing accommodation for up to 9 younger adults with learning disabilities or autistic spectrum disorders. At the time of our inspection 8 people were living there. The home had 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.

People told us that they felt safe and secure at the home. Not everyone who lived at the home could tell us about their experiences. Their relatives told us that they felt people were safe who lived at the home. We saw that the provider had systems in place to protect people from potential harm. People were supported by staff who understood how to protect people from abuse. Staff understood their responsibility to report issues of concern.

People and their relatives told us there was enough staff on duty with the appropriate skills and experience to support the needs of people living at the home. The provider had effective recruitment processes in place and we saw that appropriate checks had been undertaken before staff began work. Staff received guidance and training to ensure people’s needs were met.

People received their medicines at the correct time and as prescribed. Medicines were managed, stored and administered safely.

People were asked for their consent by staff to provide care. Where people’s rights and freedom were restricted we saw assessments of people’s capacity to consent had been done. Records and decisions had been completed in a person’s best interest in line with the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) code of practice.

People were supported to have sufficient food and drink to maintain a healthy diet. Staff understood the importance of offering meals that were suitable for people’s individual dietary needs. People had access to healthcare professionals as required that provided advice, treatment and guidance to support their healthcare need.

People and their relatives told us the staff were kind, friendly and caring. Staff understood people’s needs and preferences and respected their dignity and privacy when supporting them.

People were supported to maintain their interests and hobbies and were given the opportunity to participate in a variety of activities with others or individually. People and their relatives felt comfortable to raise any concerns or complaints with the registered manager or staff team. The provider had a system in place to respond to people’s complaints and concerns.

Relatives of people who live at the home and staff told us the home was well managed with an open positive culture. People, their relatives and staff told us the management team was approachable.

There were management systems in place to assess and monitor the quality of the home. There were regular checks of people’s care plans, medicine administration, incident and accidents. There was evidence that learning and improvement took place from audits and changes were made to improve the home.