Dimensions provides a supported living service and provides personal care for people who are unable to provide it for themselves, because of old age, illness or disability. A supportive living service is where people are supported to live in their own home and receive personal care and support that promotes their independence as there is a separation between the care and accommodation, the care they receive is regulated by the CQC but the accommodation is not. On the day of our inspection, 72 people were using the service. Some of the people using the service had complex needs and the frequency of the care and support depended on people’s individual requirements.

A registered manager was 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.

There were enough staff to meet people’s needs and to manage risk safely. Systems were in place so people could take their prescribed medicines safely. The Registered Manager had a robust recruitment process, which helped protect people from the risk of avoidable harm, and staff were supported to develop their skills and knowledge.

People's consent was obtained before any care was provided and the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 were met. Everyone told us staff members always asked their permission before carrying out any care tasks. People were supported to consume food and drink of their choice and if the person was able, staff supported and encouraged them to assist with meal preparation. Staff worked well with health care professionals, to ensure people maximised their health and wellbeing.

Staff had spent time developing positive relationships with people and knew them well. Support was given to people in a personalised way that responded to the changes in people’s lives. Guidance was in place to enable staff to provide a consistent and safe level of support. People and their relatives told us they were aware of how to make a complaint and that they felt they were listened to by the registered manager.

Staff were enthusiastic about working for the service and worked well as a team. The service had a robust approach to monitoring and improving the quality of the service and carried out regular audits to assure the quality of the service being delivered.