The inspection took place on 8 November 2016 and was announced.

The service provides a home and support for a maximum of five people with a learning disability. At the time of our inspection, five people were living there. The home is a bungalow in keeping with others in the local community.

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.

Staff promoted people's safety. They knew they had to report any concerns that people might be at risk of harm or abuse, and how to go about this. There were enough staff to meet people's needs and they were recruited in a way that contributed to promoting people's safety.

Risks to people's safety were assessed and staff followed guidance about managing these. Staff knew how to respond in an emergency such as a fire or accident so they could help people to stay safe. The safety of the home and the way that people were supported, including with their medicines, was checked regularly so that any problems could be picked up quickly.

People received support from trained and competent staff. The management team had plans to improve the way that care records focused on individual needs and preferences. However, staff had a good understanding of each person, their needs, wishes and preferences so that they could support people as they wanted.

Staff were aware that any action they took to ensure people's safety and welfare should not restrict them unreasonably. Staff understood the importance of the law about gaining people's consent to receiving care and ensuring they acted in people's best interests. Staff involved family members who knew people well in planning how people's needs could be met.

People received support to eat and drink enough to keep them well and healthy. Staff ensured they sought guidance from professionals and acted on advice from them to promote people's physical and mental wellbeing. They understood the signs that people might show if they were becoming unwell or in pain so that they could respond promptly.

Staff treated people with regard to their dignity, privacy and independence. They took action to intervene if people were upset, anxious or distressed and understood how people might express this. They made efforts to involve people in the day-to-day running of their home and to promote a warm, family atmosphere.

There had been changes in the overall management of the service, but a deputy manager had provided support and guidance to staff. This contributed staff clarity about their roles and responsibility. The new registered manager had been in post for only five weeks at the point of this inspection, but had gained the confidence of staff and family members. They had also identified priorities for further improvement.

On the day of our visit one person was out independently and others were out with two staff. One staff member remained with the two people who stayed in the home.

People spoken with told us that their keyworkers supported them with their care and helped them to put their 'person centred plan' together. They showed us they knew what was in them. People told us that they were "...happy..." with their keyworkers and that the staff were "...good". The staff member on duty encouraged one person to participate in preparing the evening meal and the person said they enjoyed helping. We also observed that people were offered choices about where they wanted to spend their time, and about drinks.

People's needs had been assessed and records showed that care was planned to meet these needs. There was information about risks to which people may be exposed. A staff member explained these clearly to us and how they were to be minimised. They also gave us information about people's health care, which was consistent with what was in the records we reviewed. This showed that people's safety and welfare was promoted.

People told us that staff helped them with their medicines. There were full records of the medicines that had been given and supplementary guidance for medicines needed only occasionally. Tubs and pump dispensers for creams were not dated when they were opened. This would be good practice in ensuring they remained safe and effective in use. However, we found that these had been recently supplied and we were informed they were replaced each month. This meant people were not at risk.

People told us about the things they were able to do with staff support. This included opportunities for outings and holidays. A staff member on duty felt there were sufficient numbers of staff to meet people's needs safely. We concluded from what we saw and had been told, that there were enough staff employed to meet people's needs effectively and that staff had a clear understanding of their roles.

People with whom we spoke told us "The staff look after me very well".

"I chat to the staff about what I want to do and where I am going this week".

Another person said "My key worker reminds me when to look at my plan".

"I have my own folder, it tells you about me".

People told us they "Felt safe" while living at Tamarisk House.

One said "The staff look after us very well".

"We have a new conservatory we can sit in".

Another said "Would you like to see my room, I have all my things in there".

Four people out of five were happy to speak and show us round the building. Two staff were in attendance, although during this visit two people went out with a member of staff on a pre-arranged shopping trip.

We spoke with four people using this service and they confirmed that they felt respected and involved by staff. People also confirmed that they were involved in the running of the service. For example they told us that they were consulted regarding their daily and weekly activity provision and in menu planning.

People told us that they were happy in the service and said that they enjoyed the wide range of activities that they were involved in doing. One person told us that, “Staff are lovely” and that, “The staff are kind to me”. Everyone we spoke with confirmed that they were happy with the standard of care and attention provided by staff.

People were positive about the quality of the meals provided by the service. For example people told us that, "The food is good here” and, "We always have plenty of choice".

All of the people we spoke with were complimentary about the care and support provided by staff in this service.