We carried out this announced inspection on 15 August 2017. We gave the service a short period of notice. This was because the people who lived there had complex needs for care and benefited from knowing in advance that we would be calling.

Desboro House is registered to provide accommodation and personal care for eight people who have a learning disability. At the time of our inspection visit there were seven people living in the service.

The service was run by a charitable body that was the registered provider. 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. In this report when we speak about both the charitable body who ran the service and the registered manager we refer to them as being, ‘the registered persons’.

At the last inspection on 28 November 2014 the service was rated Good.

At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

Care staff knew how to keep people safe from the risk of abuse including financial mistreatment. People had been supported to take reasonable risks while also being assisted to avoid preventable accidents. Medicines were safely managed. There were enough care staff on duty and background checks had been completed before new care staff had been appointed.

Care staff knew how to care for people in the right way and they had received training and guidance. People were involved in preparing their meals and care staff were supporting people to follow a healthy diet. In addition, people had been helped to obtain all of the healthcare assistance they needed.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and care staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible. Policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

People were treated with compassion and respect. Care staff recognised people’s right to privacy and promoted their dignity. There were arrangements to enable people to access independent lay advocates and confidential information was kept private.

Care staff had involved people and their relatives in making decisions about the care that was provided. People had been had been supported to be as independent as possible and they had been helped to pursue their hobbies and interests. There were arrangements for quickly and fairly resolving complaints.

People had been consulted about the development of their home and quality checks had been completed. The registered persons had told us about important events that had occurred and they had displayed the quality ratings we had given to the service. Good team work was promoted and care staff were supported to speak out if they had any concerns.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

We inspected Desboro House on 28 November 2014. The inspection was unannounced. The last inspection took place on 22 October 2013 during which we found there were no breaches in regulations.

Desboro House is situated adjacent to the Linkage Community Trust Toynton Campus site. The home is registered to provide accommodation and personal care for up to eight adults who experience learning disabilities.

There was 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 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

CQC is required by law to monitor the operation of the Mental Capacity Act, 2005 Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) and to report on what we find. DoLS are in place to protect people where they do not have capacity to make decisions and where it is considered necessary to restrict their freedom in some way, usually to protect themselves. At the time of the inspection one person who used the service had their freedom restricted and applications for restrictions had been made for six other people. This meant the provider had acted in accordance with the Mental Capacity Act, 2005, DoLS.

People told us they were very happy and felt safe living in Desboro House. There was an open and inclusive culture within the home. People were involved in planning and reviewing the support they received and in how the home was run.

There were systems in place to assure people their safety needs and rights would be protected even when they were unable to make a decision for themselves.

People were supported and encouraged to maintain and develop their independence and to lead the lifestyles they chose to. They had access to, and were involved in a range or work, educational and leisure activities.

People were treated with respect, dignity and warmth. They were supported by staff who knew them well and who were trained to meet their individual needs and wishes. They were supported to maintain healthy lifestyles, with good access to healthcare services and nutritional arrangements.

People knew how to raise any issues they had and felt comfortable to approach the manager and staff. They were confident that their issues would be addressed.

There were clear systems in place to assess and monitor the quality of the services people received. The provider, the manager and staff used this information to help improve people’s experience of living in the home.

We saw people who lived in the home experienced individual care and support from staff who respected their privacy and dignity and supported people to promote their independence. People told us they were able to make their own decisions and choices as to how they lived their lives. Where they were unable to do so there were good systems in place to ensure decisions were made in people’s best interests.

Care plans were detailed and person centred. People said they knew what information they contained as they were involved in their development. Care plans were available for staff to refer to if needed. This meant people received the care and support they needed and which protected their rights.

The areas of the home we saw were clean, tidy and well maintained. People said they found their rooms to be comfortable and they could arrange and furnish them how they wished.

We saw there were good systems in place for people to receive their medication regularly and in a safe way.

People received care from staff who were well trained and supported to carry out their role. People told us they liked the staff. One person said, “I love it here.”

There were a range of ways in which people could raise concerns and complaints if they wished and for them to be supported to do so. There were good systems in place to make sure any complaints raised were properly looked into and where possible resolved.

We found care and treatment was planned and delivered in a way that was intended to ensure people’s safety and welfare. During our visit we were able to speak with four people who used the service. People we spoke with were positive about the care and support they received. They told us the staff were nice and helped them to be independent. One person told us, "Staff are nice.” Another person said, “I’ve cleaned and tidied my room today, I can do that on my own.”

People told us they liked all the activities and trips out. One person told us they were looking forward to seeing the wrestling at Skegness that evening. Another person told us how much they enjoyed the drama club and looking after the animals.

People we spoke with confirmed they felt safe at the service. They told us they could talk with the staff if they had any concerns. They told us they liked living at the home and we received comments such as, “It’s absolutely brilliant here” and “I like living here.”

People were cared for, or supported by, enough suitably qualified, skilled and experienced staff. Throughout our inspection we observed good interactions and found people who used the service were relaxed and happy in the care of the staff.