About the service:

Dunsford is a care home situated in the town of Spilsby, Lincolnshire. The home can accommodate up to 10 people who experience learning disabilities and/or autistic spectrum disorder. The accommodation is made up of one house which can accommodate eight people and an adjoining flat which can accommodate two people. On the day of the inspection nine people were living at Dunsford.

People’s experience of using this service:

People told us they were safe living at Dunsford. Staff knew how to keep people safe and report any situations where they felt people may be at risk of abuse or harm. Risks to people’s health, safety and welfare were identified and managed effectively.

People were treated with respect and kindness by staff who knew them well. They were supported to maintain and develop their independence, express their views and make their own decisions wherever they were able to. Staff supported and maintained people’s privacy and dignity.

People were involved in planning and reviewing their care. They were also fully involved in the way the home was run.

There were enough staff to ensure people’s needs and wishes were met. Staff were well trained and supported to provide a high quality of care for people.

The registered manager promoted a relaxed and open atmosphere within the home. There were effective systems in place to monitor the quality of care provided and ensure actions were taken where shortfalls were identified.

Rating at last inspection:

Dunsford was last inspected on 2 June 2016 (report published 2 August 2016) and was rated as good overall with a requires improvement rating for the well-led section of the report.

Why we inspected:

This was a planned inspection based on the rating at the last inspection.

At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support a rating of good overall. Improvements had been made to the ways in which the home was run and we increased the previous rating for the well-led section of the report to good. More information can be found in the 'Detailed Findings' below.

Follow up:

We will continue to monitor intelligence we receive about Dunsford until we return to visit as per our reinspection programme. If any concerning information is received we may inspect sooner.

The inspection took place on 2 June and was unannounced.

The home was registered to provider accommodation and personal care for 10 young adults who had learning disabilities or autism. The home had a two bedroomed flat, which had it's own kitchen and lounge areas. It was shared two people who were being supported to become more independent. It is located in the town of Spilsby in Lincolnshire. There were eight people living at the home when we inspected.

There was a registered manager at the home. 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.

The Care Quality Commission is required by law to monitor how a provider applies the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and 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. This is usually to protect themselves. People’s abilities to make decisions were assessed and where necessary DoLS authorisations were in place.

People received care from a staff team which was supported to develop and maintain the skills needed to provide safe care through ongoing training. The provider had identified the required staffing levels to ensure people were supported and that individual’s one to one hours were respected. The provider completed appropriate checks to ensure staff were safe to work with people living at the home.

Risks to people while receiving care were identified and care was planned to ensure that people were safe. Medicines were safely managed and available to people when they needed them.

Staff were caring and supported people to lead an active life and to take advantage of opportunities presented to them. People were fully involved in planning their care, knew what was written in their care plans and were able to access the plans whenever they wanted. People were also asked for their views on the care they received and the registered manager took account of those views to improve care. The provider had effective systems in place to monitor the quality of care provided.

We carried out this review as part of our routine schedule of planned reviews. During our visit we spoke with four people who used the service, the manager and care worker. People told us they were happy living at the home and liked the day activities they attended outside the home.

People who lived at the home felt they were respected and supported by staff, and said that staff were always very patient and encouraged them to learn new skills and develop their independence.

People told us about how they were supported by staff at the home. Some of the comments we received included, “.Staff look after me well, happy with everything” and

“Love my friends and staff here; they are very nice to me.”

People also told us about the activities staff support them to do, both inside and out of the home. “Staff help me to cook my meals and do jobs in the house”, and

“I like living at the house, like going to club, singing and games.”

You can see our judgements on the front page of this report

During our visit we spoke with three people who used the service, the manager and two care workers. People told us they liked living at the home and they were happy.

People who used the service felt their privacy and dignity was being respected and said that staff were always very patient and encouraged them to do what they could for themselves. People told us about the range of activities they were supported to take part in and how staff were helping them develop their daily living skills. Some of the comments we received included, “Staff help me with things like cooking “, “I really like bowling”, “I go riding” and “I like drama, we were in a show at Skegness.”

When we spoke with people they told us they felt safe and trusted the staff. One person said, “Staff are nice, they speak nicely to me.” If people who used the service had concerns they told us they would “Talk to the staff” and “Tell my mum and dad.”