What life is like for people using this service:

People received safe care and support as the staff team had been trained to recognise signs of abuse or risk and knew what to do to safely support people. People received safe support with their medicines by competent staff members. The provider followed effective infection prevention and control procedures.

The provider supported staff in providing effective care for people through person-centred care planning, training, supervision. They ensured the provision of best practice guidance and support met people's individual needs. People were promptly referred to additional healthcare services when required. People were supported to maintain a healthy diet.

People received help and support from a kind and compassionate staff team with whom they had positive relationships with. People were supported by staff members who were aware of their individual protected characteristics. People were supported to develop their independence and to set achievable goals in life.

People participated in a range of activities that met their individual choices and preferences and that they found interesting and stimulating. People were provided with information in a way that they could understand. Policies and guidelines important to people were provided in an easy to read format with pictures to aid their understanding. The provider had systems in place to encourage and respond to any complaints or compliments from people or visitors.

The provider had effective systems in place to monitor the quality of the service they provided and to drive improvements where needed. The provider and management team had good links with the local community which people benefited from.

More information in Detailed Findings below.

Rating at last inspection: Good (date last report published 14 March 2016)

About the service: Fairmont Residential Limited is a residential care home that accommodates up to seven people living with learning disabilities or autistic spectrum disorder. At the time of our inspection there were six people living at the home. The care service has been developed and designed in line with the values that underpin the Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These values include choice, promotion of independence and inclusion. People with learning disabilities and autism using the service can live as ordinary a life as any citizen ' Registering the Right Support' CQC policy.

Why we inspected: This was a planned inspection based on the rating at the last inspection, ‘Good.’ At this inspection we found the service remained good in all key questions with an overall rating of ‘Good.’

The inspection took place on 30 December 2015 and was unannounced.

The home provides accommodation for a maximum of seven people requiring personal care. There were six people living at the home when we visited. A registered manager was in post when we inspected the service. 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People responded warmly to care staff looking after them and engaged with them in a friendly and positive manner. Relatives told us they had no concerns and that care staff knew what to do to keep their family member safe.

People received care from staff who understood how to reduce the risk of injury to them when caring for them. People were supported by staff to take their medicines at the correct time. Medicines were recorded when given and stored in a locked cupboard. The registered manager made regular checks to ensure people had received their medicines correctly.

People received care and support from staff who were regularly supervised and who could discuss people’s care and seek clarification about aspects of the care that they were unsure of. People received care from staff that understood their needs and knew their individual requirements. Staff training was monitored to ensure staff received the correct training they needed to care for people.

People’s consent was appropriately obtained by staff. People who could not make decisions for themselves were supported by staff within the requirements of the law.

People enjoyed their food and were supported where possible to prepare their own drinks and meals. People were offered choices at mealtimes and were supported with any special dietary requirements they had. Staff understood people’s needs and preferences and ensured people received the food they liked.

People’s health needs were assessed regularly by the registered manager and care staff understood how they should care for people. Staff kept families informed about their relative’s care and where appropriate involved them in the decision making. People accessed other health professionals as appropriate such as physiotherapists, occupational health, dentists, doctors and opticians.

People liked the staff who cared for them and sought reassurance through touch. People’s privacy and dignity were respected and staff understood what it meant to support people to retain their independence. Care staff understood each person’s needs and supported people accordingly.

People took part in activities they liked or had an interest in. Care staff knew what people enjoyed doing and encouraged and supported them with their chosen activity.

People were relaxed around the registered manager. Staff were positive about the registered manager and felt part of a team. Care staff understood their role within the team and how best to support people.

The care people received was regularly checked and reviewed by the registered manager to ensure it could be monitored and adjustments made where required. People and their relatives were kept updated by the registered manager and provider about issues affecting their care.

At the time of our inspection seven people were living at the home. We spoke with two relatives and five members of staff. We also spent time in communal areas observing interactions between staff and people living at the home.

We saw that people living at the home had good relationships with staff and staff appeared to know and understand their individual needs. We found that people living at the home were encouraged to express their views and decisions about their care and how they spent their time. Relatives told us they were also were involved.

People’s individual needs had been assessed and plans developed to make sure that staff met their needs. Assessment to manage risk had also been completed and used to reduce the likelihood of people being harmed.

Relatives spoke positively about the home and they service said that they were happy with the service that was being provided. One relative said: “The staff are very caring.” They also said that they felt that their relations were kept safe from the risk of harm.

Members of staff employed at the home were supported by their managers. They had received training that is relevant to their role.

We found systems in place to monitor the quality of service. People we spoke with and staff told us that they felt comfortable talking to managers and had being given opportunities to provide feedback. They told us that they felt their opinions were listened to.

At the time of our inspection there were six people living at the service. During the inspection we spoke with three people who visited the service regularly and five members of staff. We also spent some time in communal areas observing the interaction between staff and people who used the service.

We saw that people who used the service had good relationships with staff and that staff appeared to know them well. We found that people who used the service were supported and encouraged to express their views and make decisions about their care and how they wanted to spend their time.

The individual needs of people were assessed and supporting plans had been developed to make sure those needs would be met by staff.

People who visited the home told us that they had no worries about the care of people who used the service. They said that they felt people who used the service were kept safe from the risk of harm.

Staff employed at the service had received appropriate training to enable them to meet people's needs. We spoke with a relative of one person who used the service. They told us the team of staff who worked at the home were “fantastic” and “enthusiastic”.

There were arrangements for monitoring the quality of the service. People who visited the service and the staff we spoke with told us that they had an open relationship with the registered manager. They said they had no difficulties raising issues of concern and knew that they would be listened to.