This inspection took place on 25 April 2017 and our inspection was announced. We told the registered provider two days before our visit that we would be inspecting, this was to ensure the registered manager would be available during our visit.

Ellerbeck Court is a supported living project with 12 flats for people with learning disabilities, and has an office where staff provide a contact point throughout the day and night. It was registered in May 2016 to provide personal care service. At the time of the inspection 10 flats were occupied and only one person required support with personal care. The other nine people were living independently and required minimal support to assist them deal with the social and emotional aspects of day to day living.

This was the first inspection since the service was registered.

A registered manager has been in post since the service opened in May 2016. 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.

Individual risk assessments were in place to support people with promoting their independence and safety. In addition to individual risk assessments, the service also had a range of environmental risk assessments. People’s support plans were specific and centred around their individualised support needs. Support plans were up to date and were regularly evaluated .Staff knew people and were knowledgeable about people’s care and support needs. However we noted that the registered provider needed to ensure the care record template reflected the service was a domiciliary care agency providing care packages and not a care home.

Each person had a care package, which set out how many hours support they needed per day. For most people the hours were for staff to support them to learn budgeting, cooking and cleaning skills. Also support to deal with any anxieties they may experience when socialising and to join in community activities. One person lived independently but needed support to attend to their personal care needs.

We spent the majority of time reviewing how the needs of the person who required personal care were met but also spoke with people did not require personal care but wanted to discuss their experience of the service. People told us staff were caring and kind. Staff encouraged people to be involved with communal activities but respected their decision if they did not want to participate.

The service had detailed safeguarding and whistleblowing policies in place which provided information about how to recognise the signs of abuse, and how to respond to any concerns.

The service had safe systems in place to ensure people were supported with managing their medicines appropriately. People were supported with promoting their health and nutrition.

Records within staff files demonstrated proper recruitment checks were being carried out. These checks include employment and reference checks, identity checks and a disclosure and barring service check (DBS). A DBS check is a report which details any offences which may prevent the person from working with vulnerable people. They help providers make safer recruitment decisions. Staff were supported with regular training opportunities that linked to the care and support needs of people living in the service.

Staff received mandatory training in a number of areas, including food hygiene, which assisted them to support people effectively. Staff were supported with regular supervisions and appraisals. None of the people lacked capacity to make decisions about their care but staff understood how to ensure people’s rights under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 were protected.

People were supported to carry out health and safety checks within their own flats.

Peo