Brickbridge house provides accommodation for seven people who have a learning disability. At the time of our inspection there were five people living in the home. At the last inspection, in November 2014, the service was rated Good. At this inspection we found that the service remained Good.

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.

People continued to be supported in a safe way and where risks to people were identified they were managed effectively. Staff knew what abuse was and how to recognise and report it. Medicines were managed safely and people had their medicines at the prescribed times. There were enough staff available to offer individual support to people and recruitment process ensured they were suitable to work within the home. Staff had received an induction and training to help them support people.

When needed capacity assessments had been completed and decisions made in people’s best interests. When people were being unlawfully restricted this had been considered.

People were treated in a kind and caring way. Their privacy and dignity was promoted by staff and they were encouraged to be independent. They were able to make choices around their day and were offered the opportunity to participate in activities they enjoyed. People were supported to access health care professionals and health care services when needed. They were offered a choice of foods they enjoyed.

Quality monitoring checks and feedback from people who used the service was obtained to bring about changes. Staff felt listened to and were provided with the opportunity to raise concerns. There was a complaints procedure in place and this was followed by the provider.

The inspection took place 26 November 2014 and was announced. 24 hours’ notice of the inspection was given because the service is small and we needed to be sure that people were at home.

Brickbridge House is a home for six people with a learning disability. At the time of this inspection six people lived at the home.

The home had 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.

People who lived at the home told us they were comfortable and happy with the care and support that was provided.

Staff were aware of their responsibilities for supporting people with their safety and to reduce the risk of them coming to harm.

Staffing levels were adequate to support people with their daily choices and options.

Recruitment procedures were in place to ensure suitable people were employed.

Medication was stored securely and people were supported to have their medication at the prescribed times.

People were fully involved with developing, agreeing and reviewing their care and support requirements.

Staff had received training to ensure they were effective in their roles.

The provider recognised the requirement to work within the guidelines of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and the Deprivation of Liberty safeguards (DoLs). Referrals were in the process of being made for people who may have there liberty restricted.

People told us they were able to choose what they wanted to eat and drink each day.

Staff were kind and considerate and respected the privacy and dignity of people who lived at the home.

People’s independence was respected and they were encouraged to continue to pursue their hobbies and interests.

The quality and safety of the home was regularly checked and improvements made when necessary.

We carried out this inspection as part of our scheduled inspection plan to check on the care and welfare of people who used the service. The visit was unannounced so the provider did not know we were coming. During the inspection we spoke with the registered manager, a member of staff and three people who used the service. On the day of the inspection there were six people living in the home.

We found that people were listened to and treated with respect. We saw that people had choices about the care they received and the way in which it was delivered. People told us and records showed that people received care and support which met their needs. One person who used the service told us: “I like it here – quite good really”. Another person said: “They (the staff) are great”.

Records showed that staff were trained to protect people who used the service from the risk of abuse. Staff told us that they would not hesitate to report any suspicion of abuse. We found the staff received appropriate training, supervision and appraisals of their performance to provide people with the care and treatment they needed.

We saw that there was a formal system in place to deal with complaints. We were told and records showed that the service had not received any complaints since the last inspection.

We carried out an unannounced inspection which meant that the provider did not know that we were coming.

Six people were in residence when we visited. During our visit we used different methods to help us understand the experiences of people using the service. We spoke with people living at the home, relatives, staff members, and the manager, and we spent time observing the care provided in the home. One person who used the service said, “It’s alright here; I didn’t want to go out (shopping) today with the others”.

We saw staff knocking on people’s doors before entering. We were told that some people liked to get up later in the morning and we saw they were supported to do this. This meant that people were respected and listened to.

People were consulted about their care, and where able, gave consent to the treatment and support they received. Relatives were told about any changes in their relative’s condition.

We found that care plans and risk assessments were kept under review. This meant that people received the care they needed.

We saw the management and administration of people's medicines was undertaken safely which meant that people received their medicines as prescribed.

We looked at the recruitment procedures for staff and found that systems were in place to protect people using the service.

We saw that the service had a quality assurance system in place ensuring that people received safe and appropriate care that met their needs.