About the service: Bracken Villa is a care home that provides accommodation with support for up to eight people with a learning disability or autistic spectrum disorder. On the day of our visit there were six people using the service.

The care service has been developed and designed in line with the values that underpin the Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These values include choice, promotion of independence and inclusion. People with learning disabilities and autism using the service can live as ordinary a life as any citizen.

People’s experience of using this service: People we spoke with told us they were happy living at Bracken Villa and we saw lots of encouraging interaction with the staff team in a fun and positive environment.

Staff took steps to safeguard vulnerable adults and promoted their human rights. Incidents were dealt with appropriately, which helped to keep people safe. People’s health needs were identified and external professionals involved if necessary.

People told us care staff were caring and kind. We observed staff members supporting people in a dignified and confidential manner. When one person began discussing their financial affairs, a staff member gently asked them if they should discuss this somewhere more private to which they happily agreed.

Support plans were detailed and showed people were involved in planning their own activities with staff support. We found that one plan required review to ensure that guidelines from a healthcare professional regarding their nutritional safety were clearly detailed and risk assessed.

Staff told us they felt well trained and supported and spoke of the relatively new management team in a positive light stating that people who lived at the service were now taking the lead of planning their own lives with support from the staff team.

The service was well run. The senior managers carried out lots of checks to make sure that the service was effective.

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

Rating at the last inspection: The service was rated as good and the report was published in July 2016.

Follow up: We will continue to monitor intelligence we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If any concerning information is received we may inspect sooner.

We inspected the service on 3 May 2016. The inspection was unannounced. Bracken Villa is registered to provide accommodation for up to 8 younger adults who have Learning disabilities or autistic spectrum disorder. On the day of our inspection six people were using the service.

The service had a registered manager in place 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 were supported by staff who knew how to recognise abuse and how to respond to concerns. Risks in relation to people’s daily life were assessed and planned for to protect them from harm.

People were supported by enough staff to ensure they received care and support when they needed it. Medicines were managed safely and people received their medicines as prescribed.

People were supported by staff who had the knowledge and skills to provide safe and appropriate care and support. People were supported to make decisions and staff knew how to act if people did not have the capacity to make decisions.

People were supported to maintain their nutrition and staff monitored and responded to people’s health conditions.

People were listened to and valued by staff. People were enabled to make choices and staff went the extra mile to support them to live a fulfilled life and cared for people in the way they preferred. People’s potential was recognised and they were encouraged and supported to develop their skills and knowledge.

People were involved in giving their views on how the service was run and there were systems in place to monitor and improve the quality of the service provided.