Exmoor Drive is a residential care home for up to 12 people with a learning disability/and may be living with dementia. At the time of our inspection 10 people were living at the home. Accommodation was provided in three bungalows. There was also a large room for activities and a quiet room.

Rating at last inspection.

At our last inspection on 14 October 2015 we rated the service good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and on- going monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

Why the service is rated as Good.

People received care and from staff who knew how to keep them safe. Staff knew what they would do to protect a person from the risk of harm and how to report any concerns. People got the assistance they asked for or staff ensured they were available to help them when needed.

People received their medicines as prescribed and by staff whose competency had been checked to administer their medicines safely.

Staff had a good understanding of infection control, so could help people stay fit and well.

People’s care was provided by staff that had been trained to understand their needs and were supported in their role. People’s decisions about their care and treatment had been recorded and staff showed they listened and responded to people’s choice to choose or decline care.

The provider was following the principles of the Mental Capacity Act. People are supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service support this practice.

People were offered choices of food and drinks. Support was provided where needed and alternative diets had been prepared to meet people’s nutritional needs. People were supported to access health and social care professionals with regular appointments when needed and were supported by staff to attend these appointments.

People were comfortable and said they liked the staff that supported them. People were happy to chat and relate with them. Staff knew people’s individual care needs and respected people’s dignity and had been supported to maintain relationships with their families.

People were offered a range of interesting things to do and follow their interests.

People and their relatives knew how to make a complaint or raise a concern.

The registered manager was available, approachable and known by people and relatives. Staff also felt confident to raise any concerns on behalf of people. The provider ensured regular checks were completed to monitor the quality of the care delivered. The management team had kept their knowledge current and they led by example.

This inspection took place on 14 October 2015 and was unannounced.

Exmoor Drive is registered to provide accommodation for personal care for a maximum of 12 people with learning disabilities or autistic spectrum disorder. Accommodation was provided in three bungalows. There was also a large room for activities and a quiet room. There were nine people living at the home on the day of our visit. At the time of our inspection 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.

People received care and from staff who knew how to keep them safe. Staff knew what they would do to protect a person from the risk of harm and how to report any concerns. People got the assistance they asked for or staff ensured they were available to help them when needed. Staff had time to support people when required and ensured that people’s needs were met in a timely way. Staff gave people their medicines and recorded when they had received them.

People’s care was provided by staff that had been trained to understand their needs and were supported in their role. People’s decisions about their care and treatment had been recorded and staff showed they listened and responded to people’s choice to choose or refuse care.

The registered manager had not consistently applied the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). The assessments of people’s capacity to consent and records of decisions needed to be reviewed. Staff required further support to know who was being legally deprived of their liberty and understand the reasons for the restrictions.

People enjoyed the food and had choices regarding their meals. Support was provided where needed and alternative diets had been prepared to meet people’s nutritional needs. People were supported to access health and social care professionals with regular appointments when needed and were supported by staff to attend these appointments.

People were comfortable around the staff that supported them. People were happy to chat and relate with them. Staff knew people’s individual care needs and respected people’s dignity and had been supported to maintain relationships with their families.

People got to enjoy the things they liked to do and chose how they spent their days in their home, the garden or out on planned trips. People had the opportunity to raise comments or concerns and these were addressed. There were processes in place for handling and resolving complaints and guidance was available in alternative formats. Staff were also encouraged to raise concerns on behalf of people at the home and they had done so where necessary.

The registered manager was available, approachable and known by people and relatives. Staff also felt confident to raise any concerns of behalf of people. The provider ensured regular checks were completed to monitor the quality of the care delivered. The management team had kept their knowledge current and they led by example.

We spoke with four of the people who lived there, three staff and with the registered manager. We also observed how staff cared for people who lived there.

People who lived there had been treated with dignity and respect.

We looked at care plans for two of the people who lived there. They covered a range of needs and had been reviewed regularly to ensure that staff had up to date information. There were also detailed assessments about the person's health so that staff could support people to keep healthy and well. All the staff we spoke with had knowledge of the needs of the people who lived there.

We observed that staff helped and supported people. A person who lived there told us that staff were: "Very good". We saw that people received care that met their individual needs.

We found that staff had knowledge about safeguarding people from abuse.

People lived in a clean environment and the provider had reduced the risk of the spread of infection.

The provider had listened to and acted upon people’s complaints and comments.

During this inspection we spoke with two people who used the service and two relatives. We also looked at how staff cared for the people who used the service. We saw that people were being given choices around what they wanted to do. We observed that people were receiving care that was meeting their heath and welfare needs. One of the people we spoke with said, "They look after me, it's nice here".

The two relatives of people who used the service gave us positive feedback about the standards of care and support that the staff provided. One person said that it was, ”Marvellous to see the care that is given”. Another said that, “The staff are confident, skilled and responsive to peoples needs”.

Staff employed at the service had access to further training and told us that they felt supported by their peers and the registered manager. One staff member said they had, "Good training and support". This meant that staff had the support and knowledge to meet the care and welfare needs of people who lived there.

There were regular meetings for people who used the service, their families and staff. This meant that the provider was able to review the quality of the service and to ensure appropriate care was being provided.