About the service: Corran Dean at Smokey Farm is a small respite facility for people who may have a learning disability/autism and may display behaviours that challenge.

People’s experience of using this service:

People enjoyed their stays at Corran Dean at Smokey Farm and were cared for by staff who understood their preferences and were kind.

• Systems were in place to identify people's individual safety risks and to promote people's safety. Staff were

available to meet people's safety needs and reassure them when needed. The risk of accidental harm or

infections were reduced as staff used the resources and equipment provided to do this.

• Staff administered people's medicines safely. Staff provided people with support to have the medicines they needed to remain well, and people's medicines were regularly reviewed and checked.

• People were supported to enjoy a wide range of activities which reflected their interests, and enhanced their lives. Staff sought ways for people to continue to do things they liked, whilst maintaining their safety.

• People, their relatives, staff and other health and social care professionals worked together to assess people's needs and plan their care. This was done so people's needs, and preferences would be met, and they would enjoy an enhanced sense of well-being.

• People were supported by staff to make decisions about their care. Staff used their knowledge of people's preferred ways of communicating, to assist people to make their own choices.

• Staff promoted people's right to independence, dignity and respect.

• Staff supported people to have timely access to external health care should this be required during their stay.

• Staff had received a comprehensive induction and on-going training to develop the skills they needed to care for people.

• People, their relatives and staff were encouraged to make any suggestions for developing the care provided further.

• The provider checked the quality of care provided and developed action plans to improve people's care, so people would continue to enjoy their stays.

• We found the service met the characteristics of a "Good" rating in all areas; More information is available in the full report.

Rating at last inspection: Good. The last report for Corran Dean at Smokey Farm was published 15 November 2016.

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

The inspection took place on 22 September 2016 and was announced. We gave the provider 48 hours’ notice as this was a small respite service and we wanted to make sure people were in.

Corran Dean at Smokey Farm is a small respite service providing short breaks for a maximum of three adults with additional support needs, such as learning disabilities and autistic spectrum conditions. The registered provider manages the service with care provided by a small team of staff. There was one person using the service on the day of the inspection and because of this and the fact that we want to protect this person’s rights to a private life, the report will provide an overview rather than specific examples.

People were protected from harm as staff knew how to protect them from abuse. Relatives told us that people were supported when required and they were happy with the support people received. Detailed pre admission assessments were carried out to ensure that the registered provider was aware of all care and safety needs of people who used the service.

People received their medicines in a way that kept them safe. Staff had received medication training and there were arrangements in place for managing people’s medication.

Staff had been recruited following the appropriate checks on their suitability to support people. Staff were available to meet people’s needs promptly and they demonstrated good knowledge about people using the service. Staff received training to provide appropriate knowledge to support people and staff felt supported by the registered provider.

People were consulted about their care, and before each visit to the service the provider spoke to people and their relatives to plan the respite stay. People chose how they spent their days and what they wanted to do and were encouraged to engage the activities they enjoyed.

People were supported to eat and drink a healthy diet and any special dietary considerations were catered for. Menus were planned and based on the preferences of people who used the service. Staff had knowledge of special dietary requirements and foods to avoid in certain health conditions.

There was access to healthcare services if required, but this was not usually necessary during a respite stay. Staff showed knowledge of people’s health needs and their relatives were informed of any changes in their family members’ health and support.

We saw that people got on well with the registered provider and staff supporting them. Relatives told us people liked the staff who cared for them and enjoyed staying at the home. Relatives told us they felt staff were caring and that they knew how to look after the people receiving support. Staff showed us that they knew the interests, likes and dislikes of people. We saw that staff ensured that they were respectful of people’s choices and decisions. Where people were unable to make specific decisions about their care these were made on their behalf in their best interests.

Relatives of people receiving respite care knew how to make complaints and told us they would speak to the registered provider about any concerns. All relatives we spoke with were confident any concerns would be dealt with. The registered provider advised that as a small service any concerns were picked up and dealt with immediately.

We received positive feedback about the service provided from relatives. They all told us that the registered provider was very caring and very supportive. They particularly liked the one to one attention their family member’s received from the staff. The provider demonstrated clear leadership and staff were supported to carry out their roles and responsibilities effectively, so that people received care and support in-line with their needs and wishes.