The provider Autism and Asperger’s Support Ltd operate three care homes in Eastbourne. We inspected their Latimer Road location which provides accommodation and personal care for up to three people; however at the time of inspection, only two people were living there. The building is situated over three floors and which are accessed by a stair-case. There is a communal lounge, dining room and kitchen as well as a shower room and a bath room. There are also toilet facilities located close to people’s bedrooms. One person’s bedroom had been arranged as a flat with a separate lounge. There were also outside spaces that were accessed by people regularly.

At the previous inspection in 2016, the service was rated as ‘Requires Improvement’ overall. This was due to some insufficient recording regarding the administration of medicines, no registered manager at the premises and a lack of audit protocols. This meant that there was not clear oversight of the service and the people accessing it. It was evident from this inspection that drastic improvement had been made to areas identified previously.

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

People were safe. Staff had a thorough understanding of how to protect people against harm and there were suitable levels of staff available to ensure people’s needs could be met at any time. The provider had listened to what made people feel anxious and found innovative ways to support them to feel safe at home and when using local amenities. People had a range of individualised risk assessments to support them to maintain their independence and safety. These were developed and regularly reviewed by people and staff who supported them.

Medicines were managed in such a way that people received them safely. Medicines documentation was clear and people had their own medicine cabinets in their bedrooms to encourage maximum independence and control. One person now managed their medicines independently as a result of support, with the encouragement of staff and involvement of the local pharmacy.

The registered manager and staff had a thorough understanding of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and how to promote choice in decision making. People at Latimer Road were independent and able to make decisions about their care and safety. Regardless of this, the registered manager and staff understood their responsibilities under the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS); these provide legal safeguards for people who may be deprived of their liberty for their own safety. Staff had sought support from health professionals to enable people to make decisions about their own health and wellbeing.

Staff felt well supported due to regular supervision, annual appraisals and a robust induction programme, which developed their understanding of people and their routines. Staff also received a wide range of specialised training to ensure they could support people safely and carry out their roles effectively.

People were supported to maintain their health and were referred for specialist advice as required. Yearly Health Calendar’s meant people could write down when they had appointments and manage their own health. There were clear guidelines in how to support people when accessing different health professionals such as the GP, Dentist or Chiropodist. People were also involved in writing their own emergency plans that could be taken to the hospital if they needed to be admitted.

People, relative’s and health professionals considered the caring nature of the service to be of the highest standard. We saw this not only through observations of people and staff together but through the posit

3 Hampden Terrace provides personal support for up to three people with Autism and Asperger's. The home is a terraced property in a residential area of Eastbourne, within walking distance of the town centre and bus routes to access other areas. People living at 3 Hampden Terrace are supported to be as independent as possible, make choices about all aspects of their daily lives and maintain strong links with the local community.

A registered manager was not at the home at the time the inspection. A manager had been appointed they were at the home for the inspection and said they would be applying to register as manager with Care Quality Commission (CQC). 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 11 May 2016 and was unannounced.

The quality and monitoring system was not effective in all areas and had not identified some issues, such as the removal of medicine records that were no longer required. The operations manager was aware of these shortfalls and action was being taken to address them.

The CQC is required by law to monitor the operation of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) which applies to care homes. The management and staff had attended training in the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards and were aware of current guidance to ensure people were protected.

People were assessed before they moved into the home to ensure staff could meet their needs, and support plans, including risk assessments to ensure their safety, were developed from this information. Support plans had been reviewed and people and their relatives were involved in discussions about the care and support provided. Staff showed they understood people’s needs and provided the support people wanted.

There were enough staff working in the home to meet people’s needs and appropriate recruitment procedures were in place to ensure only suitable people worked at the home. Staff supported people to be independent and as such the routines of the home included people being responsible for their washing and keeping the home clean and tidy.

People said they felt safe and staff had attended safeguarding training. They demonstrated a good understanding of how to protect people from abuse and what action they would take if they had any concerns.

The home was clear and comfortable, people had personalised their rooms with pictures and had their own TVs and music centres with CDs and DVDs of their choices. They were encouraged to take part in activities that interested them and continue with hobbies if they wanted to and people said staff supported them to do things they were interested in.

People told us the food was good. They decided what they wanted to eat; shopping was arranged on this basis and some people cooked their own and other people’s meals.

People had access to health professionals as and when they required it. The visits were recorded in the support plans with details of any changes to support provided as guidance for staff to follow.

A complaints procedure was in place. People said they knew how to complain, but they did not have anything to complain about.

Feedback was sought from people, their relatives and other visitors to the home and people said they had regular meetings when they could discuss anything.

In this report the name of a registered manager appears who was not in post and not managing the regulatory activities at this location at the time of the inspection. Their name appears because they were still a Registered Manager on our register at the time.

We spent time talking to people who lived in the home, we spoke with two members of staff and looked at some records. People living at the service told us "I get on well with the staff here." and "I do things I choose."

We found that people using the service and their representatives were involved in decisions about the care and treatment they received. We found that the care and support provided was person centred and focused on promoting people's independence.

There were sufficient numbers of staff with the appropriate skills and training to meet the needs of people using the service.

We examined the systems and processes in place for the management and administration of medicines and found these to be effective. We found that there was an effective complaints system available.

We looked at the services offered by the home by talking to people who received them, the staff who provided the care and the supporting documentation.

People said that the home offered the support they needed and that the care staff were very good. One person said that they were very happy living at the home and they had learnt new skills since they moved in.