About the service: Bethphage 1 provides care and support to people living in 11 ‘supported living’ settings across Walsall, Birmingham and Wolverhampton so that they can live 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. Nine people were using the service when we inspected.

People’s experience of using this service: The outcomes for people using the service reflected the principles and values of Registering the Right Support in the following ways; by promotion of choice, control, independence and inclusion. For example, people's support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible to gain new skills and increase or maintain their independence.

People and staff told us they felt safe at the service. People received support to take their medicines safely. Risks to people's well-being were recorded and updated when their circumstances changed. Staffing was provided at safe and consistent levels that enabled people to go out and access the community when they chose to with support.

People's rights to make their own decisions were respected. People were supported to access healthcare services if needed. Staff had appropriate skills and knowledge to deliver care and support in a person-centred way. The service was keen to pursue any learning and development opportunities for staff and ensured training was well monitored.

The emphasis of support was towards enabling people. People were complimentary about their staff and the positive relationships they had with them. The service ensured people’s families and friends were involved and part of people's lives. Support plans were clearly written and ensured people received care and support as they preferred.

The values of the organisation of offering choice, inclusion and respect were embedded. This supported people to receive a positive service. Staff were aware of their roles and responsibilities. The service had several quality assurance systems in place and there was a focus on continuous development.

Rating at last inspection: Good (report published August 2016).

Why we inspected: This was a planned inspection based on the rating at the last inspection.

Follow up: We will monitor all intelligence received about the service to inform the assessment of the risk profile of the service and to ensure the next planned inspection is scheduled accordingly.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk.

The inspection was announced and took place on 24 May 2016. We gave the provider 48 hours’ notice that we would be visiting the service. This was because the service provides domiciliary Care and we wanted to be sure that staff would be available. Bethphage 1 provides personal care to people with learning disabilities or autistic spectrum disorder, people with mental health issues, physical disabilities or sensory impairment in their own homes. At the time of our inspection there were 11 people receiving support from the service.

There was a registered manager in post at the time of our inspection. 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 and their relatives were positive about the care provided by the service and said that they felt safe. Staff recognised how to identify the signs of abuse and knew how to report it to keep people safe. There were sufficient numbers of trained staff who had the appropriate recruitment checks to ensure they were suitable to their role. Staff arrived on time for their visits and the right number of staff were available to provide the support people needed. People received the medicines they required in order to support their health.

Risks to people were assessed and reviewed regularly to ensure care remained appropriate to people’s needs. Staff were supported in their roles by the management team, this included regular training and meetings with the registered manager. People and relatives told us staff were kind, caring and competent in their roles. Where possible people were supported from a consistent team of staff. Where required, staff supported people to receive a diet which promoted their health and well-being. People were supported to access healthcare services when required.

Staff ensured people consented to the care they received. Staff were aware of how to respect people’s choices and rights. Staff respected people’s privacy, dignity and independence. People and their relatives were involved in decisions about their care and support. People and their relatives knew how to complain if they had any issues with the care they received. The provider dealt with complaints in a timely and thorough way. The registered manager created a positive culture within the service and everyone felt the management team were friendly and approachable. Systems were in place to ask people their views about their care. Quality audit processes were in place to monitor the quality of the service provided and to learn and make improvements when required.