Autism and Aspergers Care Services Limited provides accommodation and support for up to three people who have autistic spectrum disorders and learning disabilities. At the time of our inspection there were two people living at the service.

The service had a registered manager. 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 a legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

We carried out a previous inspection of this service on 24 October 2013. The service met all the regulations we inspected.

Staff were trained in how to protect people from abuse. The registered manager and staff understood their responsibilities in relation to safeguarding vulnerable adults from abuse. Staff knew how to recognise signs of abuse and the procedures to follow should they need to report concerns.

People were protected from risks relating to their health, medicines, nutrition and hydration and behaviours. Staff assessed and managed individual risks to people whilst supporting them to be as independent as possible. The registered manager monitored and reviewed accidents and incidents and had put plans in place to minimise the risk of recurrence.

There were robust recruitment procedures in place to ensure only staff of good character were employed by the service. Staff underwent checks before they started working at the service to ensure they were suitable to work with people. There were enough staff to support people safely.

Staff supported people to take their medicines safely. Medicines were stored and managed appropriately. Staff were trained in the safe administration of medicines and maintained accurate records.

Staff had the skills and knowledge they required to undertake their role. Staff received relevant training as well as regular supervision and appraisal to support them in their role. Staff supported people through positive behavioural support which contributed to them experiencing fewer incidents of behaviour which challenged the service.

Staff understood their role in relation to the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguard (DoLS) and ensured they put their knowledge into practice. People consented to care and treatment.

Staff treated people with respect and showed them kindness and compassion. Staff knew each person well and understood how to meet their support needs. The service had a welcoming, happy and friendly atmosphere. Staff and people interacted with humour which showed people felt comfortable in their presence. Staff were positive about working with people who identified as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered.

People were supported with their nutritional needs and encouraged to adopt healthy lifestyle choices. People were able to make choices about what they wanted to eat and encouraged to help prepare meals where they were able.

People, relatives, staff and healthcare professionals were asked for their views about the service. The registered manager used their feedback to improve the quality of care. People were provided with information about how to make a complaint.

Care plans contained assessments of people's individual needs and the support they required. Staff reviewed care plans on a regular basis and when changes to a person’s needs were identified. People received care and support as planned and as they wished. People accessed health and social care professionals for support with their care and health needs.

People and staff described the registered manager as approachable and open to ideas and feedback. An open culture put people at the centre of care and support.

The registered manager carried out audits and checks to develop the quality and safety of the care and support people received. The service worked in partnership with heal

We used a number of different methods to help us understand the experiences of people using the service because people using the service had complex needs which meant they were not able to fully tell us their experiences. We spent time observing support and how staff interacted with people. We spoke with staff and the home manager and looked at records.

We found that care and support provided was person centred and focused on promoting people's independence. We saw that staff listened to people and responded to people in a kind and respectful way. We found that staff were supported and were given opportunities to develop their skills. We examined the systems and processes in place for the safe management of medicines and found these to be effective. We found that there was an effective complaints system available.

The home cares for and supports people with a wide range of complex needs. Some of the people who used the service had limited communication. We were unable to find out their views and experiences through discussion. We observed care given by care staff. During our inspection we saw that people received good care.

People were given support to make choices and decisions for themselves wherever they could do so, and staff clearly understood each person’s way of communicating their needs, wishes and choices.

We looked at compliments received from relatives. Comments included " Thank you for all your support it is appreciated.”

The provider had systems in place to identify, assess and manage risks and to ensure that care was delivered effectively and to people's satisfaction.

It was only possible to talk to one of the three people living at the home at the time of our visit. This individual told us that they were happy at the home. This person told us that they spent time doing things that they enjoyed and that they had learnt new skills since we last visited.