We inspected Essex Care Consortium - Fordham on the 1 December 2016 and the inspection was unannounced.

The service provides accommodation and support for up to six people who have a learning disability There were six people living at the service at the time of our inspection.

The service had 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.

People were cared for by staff that had been recruited and employed after appropriate checks were completed. There were enough skilled and experienced staff available to support people to live safely at the service.

Records were regularly updated and staff were provided with the information they needed to meet people’s needs. People's support was planned and delivered in a way that was intended to ensure people's safety, welfare and independence.

Staff were able to explain to us what they would do to keep people safe and how they would protect their rights. They were aware of the principles of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) when people did not have capacity to make their own choices and decisions.

People who used the service were provided with the opportunity to participate in activities which interested them and they enjoyed an active social life. People were relaxed in the company of staff. Staff were able to demonstrate they knew people well. Staff were attentive to people's needs and treated people with dignity and respect.

The service worked well with other professionals by seeking guidance and support from the person’s G.P, psychiatrist, social worker and the specialist team which supported people with a learning disability. This ensured that people's health needs were met.

People who used the service and their relatives were involved in developing the service. They knew how to raise a concern or make a complaint if they needed to. We saw that any complaints were dealt with and resolved quickly.

A system for monitoring the quality of the service was in place to ensure that people received high quality care and support which enriched their lives.