Community Places – Clifton Drive is a 16 bedded service providing long stay care and respite, to people with complex learning disabilities. There are four self-contained flats and 12 individual rooms all with en-suite facilities. There are numerous well-appointed communal lounges, dining areas, relaxation rooms and interactive rooms. The service is located in Sprotbrough, which is near to Doncaster town centre. At the time of our inspection there were four people using the service.

The service was registered in August 2016 and this was the first rated inspection.

The service did not have 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run. The registered manager had left and a new manager had been appointed and it was their second week in post at the time of our inspection.

Staff were knowledgeable about how to recognise signs of potential abuse and aware of the reporting procedures. Assessments identified risks to people and management plans to reduce the risks were in place. Relatives we spoke with all praised the service and told us people were safe.

Recruitment processes were robust so helped the employer make safer recruitment decisions when employing new staff. Staff had completed an induction at the beginning of their employment. They had access to a varied training programme and regular support and supervision was available to help them meet the needs of the people they cared for.

Most people who used the service required staffing levels of at least one to one and some had two to one staffing. We saw at the time of the inspection these staffing levels were maintained. There was sufficient staff on duty to meet people’s needs. Relatives we spoke with confirmed when they visited there were sufficient staff on duty.

Systems were in place to make sure people received their medications safely, which included key staff receiving medication training and regular audits of the system. Some minor issues were identified which since our inspection have been resolved.

People were supported to have choice and control of their lives and be as independent as possible. We saw staff supported people in the least restrictive way possible.

We saw staff treating people with respect . Relatives we spoke with told us staff were extremely kind, understanding and very caring. Staff demonstrated a good awareness of how they respected people’s preferences and ensured their privacy and dignity was maintained. Staff explained how they maintained this and told us they took account of individuals needs and preferences while supporting them.

Staff we spoke with were extremely knowledgeable on how to meet people’s needs and care plans were in place detailed how to meet people’s needs and were regularly reviewed.

People had regular access to activities and stimulation, as well as regular outings into the community.

There was a comprehensive complaints protocol in place, this informed people and visitors how to raise concerns and how these would be managed. Relatives we spoke with told us they would feel comfortable raising any issues concerns with the management team. However, had never had the need to, they all said they were very happy with the service provided.

There were good systems in place to monitor and improve the quality of the service provided. Action plans were implemented when required for any improvements needed and these were followed by staff.

Staff were clear about their roles and responsibilities, told us they were listened to and communication was good. There were policies and procedures to inform and guide staff.