There was 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. In this report when we speak about both the company and the registered manager we refer to them as being, ‘the registered persons’.

At the last inspection the service was rated, ‘Good’.

At the present inspection the service remained, ‘Good’. Suitable quality checks were being completed and had ensured that there were enough staff on duty. In addition, people told us that they received person-centred care.

This service provides care and support to people living in a number of ‘supported living’ settings, so that they can live in their own home 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.

There were systems, processes and practices to safeguard people from situations in which they may experience abuse including financial mistreatment. Risks to people’s safety had been assessed, monitored and managed so they were supported to stay safe while their freedom was respected. Medicines were managed safely. There were sufficient staff to safely meet people’s needs. Background checks had been completed before new staff had been appointed.

Arrangements to prevent and control infection were in place and lessons had been learned when things had gone wrong.

Staff had been supported to deliver care in line with current best practice guidance. People were helped to eat and drink enough to maintain a balanced diet. People had access to healthcare services so that they received on-going healthcare support.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives. Staff supported them in the least restrictive ways possible. The policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

People were treated with kindness, respect and compassion and they were given emotional support when needed. They had also been supported to express their views and be actively involved in making decisions about their care as far as possible. People had access to lay advocates if necessary. In addition, confidential information was kept private.

Information was provided to people in an accessible manner. People had been supported to pursue their hobbies and interests. The registered manager recognised the importance of promoting equality and diversity. People’s concerns and complaints were listened and responded to in order to improve the quality of care. Arrangements had been made to support people at the end of their life.

There was a registered manager who promoted a positive culture in the service that was focused upon achieving good outcomes for people. They had also taken steps to enable the service to meet regulatory requirements. Staff had been helped to understand their responsibilities to develop good team work and to speak out if they had any concerns. People, their relatives and members of staff had been consulted about making improvements in the service. The provider had put in place arrangements that were designed to enable the service to learn, innovate and ensure its sustainability. There were arrangements for working in partnership with other agencies to support the development of joined-up care.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

We inspected Autism Care Community Services (Lincolnshire) on 2 October 2015. The provider was given 48 hours notice to ensure that the people we needed to speak with would be available.

Autism Care Community Services (Lincolnshire) has its head office located in Birchwood near to the city of Lincoln. The office is situated in a block of apartments where some people who use the service live. The agency covers the geographical areas of Lincolnshire and Peterborough with core teams covering areas such as Gainsborough, Lincoln, Sleaford and Grantham. The agency is registered to provide personal care for people who live in their own homes or shared houses.

Services are provided for people who live with complex needs related to the autism spectrum, and learning disabilities. There were 12 people receiving a personal care service from the agency when we visited.

There was a registered manager in post at the time of the inspection. 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 felt safe with the support they received. Staff were trained to recognise when people were at risk and knew what actions they should take. Risks to people’s safety and wellbeing had been assessed and and plans were in place to manage them effectively.

Recruitment checks ensured staff that were employed were suitable to support people. However, there was not always enough staff in one geographical area of the service to ensure people’s social support needs were met safely. The provider and the registered manager were aware of this and had taken action to address the issue.

People received their support from staff who were appropriately trained to meet their needs, preferences and wishes. Staff felt they were well supported by the management team to carry out the responsibilities of their job roles. However, the registered manager was aware that formal supervision and appraisal arrangements for staff had not been delivered in a consistent manner. They had developed plans to improve the arrangements in line with the provider’s policy.

The provider had acted in accordance with the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA), where people did not have the capacity to consent to their support and relevant guidance had been followed. People were treated with respect and dignity and supported to maintain and develop their independence.

People received appropriate support to access healthcare services and ensure they had good nutrition. Their choices and decisions were respected and staff upheld their right to privacy.

The service was run in an open and inclusive manner. People and the staff who supported them were encouraged to share their views about the services provided. People knew how to make complaints and staff knew how to manage complaints that were made. The provider and the registered manager recognised that arrangements for gathering people’s views and the information about making complaints may not always be suitable for some of the people who received support from the agency and they were exploring different methods of addressing this issue.

Systems were in place to regularly assess, monitor and improve the quality of the services provided for people.

People told us they were well supported by staff and were involved in their care planning. The care plan records we looked at were person-centred and involved the person in decisions whenever possible. One person told us, "I like it here."

Relatives told us they were very happy with the service provided. They said, "Staff are very open and approachable" and "have a good understanding of autism." One relative we spoke with told us, “I think the services are really good. Anything our relative needs they get. I can’t think of anything that could be improved. They (staff) do well as they are.”

We saw systems for staff recruitment were safe and the proper checks were carried out in advance before any new staff member started to work at the home.

Staff received an induction and were trained appropriately to meet the needs of the people. There were sufficient staff available to meet peoples needs.

There was an effective process in place to respond to formal and informal concerns or complaints.