This inspection took place on 19 and 20 April and 5 May 2017 and was unannounced. We spent time in the service on 19 and 20 April and contacted relatives by telephone on 5 May 2017.

Benton Care Services was registered with CQC in November 2015 when the current owner bought the service. The registered provider and the registered manager are the same person. This was the first inspection of Benton Care Services under this registered provider. Staff moved over to the new service and people who used the service remained in the same home. The service is divided into three separate houses which are located next door to each other, in a row of terraced houses. Two of the houses accommodate up to three people whilst the third house accommodates up to seven people. At the time of our inspection there were 13 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 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.

We found there were regular checks carried out on the home to ensure people were living in a safe environment. Staff carried out cleaning duties and the home was immaculate.

Staff understood how to protect people from harm and had undertaken safeguarding training. Staff knew the risks to people and ensured they put in place actions to prevent any harm from coming to people who used the service.

We found there was enough staff on duty to meet people’s needs. People were given prompt attention and knew which members of staff were coming on duty. The registered manager told us they did not use agency staff to ensure people received care from staff they knew well.

Staff had been trained in the administration of medicines and had been assessed by the registered manager as being competent. We saw the service managed people’s medicines in a safe way. We found people had plans in place for medicines which were required as and when, these included guidance to staff on changes in people’s behaviourwhen they were in pain.

Care Quality Commission (CQC) is required by law to monitor the application of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA), and to report on what we find. MCA is a law that protects and supports people who do not have the ability to make their own decisions and to ensure decisions are made in their 'best interests'. We found the provider was complying with their legal requirements.

Where restrictions on people's liberty were in place to keep them safe, applications had been made to the local authority to grant Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards in line with legal requirements.

People's needs had been assessed and specific and detailed care plans had been created to ensure all staff had access to information about people's needs. The registered manager told us they were in the process of reviewing everyone’s care plans to ensure they were more person centred.

The service had in place its own transport. Regular checks were carried out on a mini bus, a car and one person’s personal vehicle. Relatives told us people who used the service were taken out on regular outings. During our inspection we saw people were happy to go out together and, on their return, told us about what they had seen. We found staff knew people’s activity preferences and were able to meet them in the service.

People's rights to make choices were respected. The staff team were established and knew people well, but we observed the staff continued to offer people choices.

Relatives told us about how caring the staff were towards the people who used the service. Feedback from professionals echoed the comments made by the relatives and explained the warm relationships between people and the staff.

The registered manager had a visible presence in the home and set