Faith Global Links provides accommodation and personal care for up to five people who have mental health needs. At the time of our inspection five people were using the service. The service does not provide nursing care.

When we last visited the service it was rated good.

At this inspection we found the service remained good.

The manager was a strong leader and promoted a calm atmosphere which benefitted people to feel secure and settled. People were encouraged to be involved in the day-to-day decisions at the service. There were systems in place to check the quality of the service and make improvements, where necessary.

The manager had not always sent in notifications to the Commission as required. We therefore made a recommendation that they review their processes in relation to the submission of statutory notifications.

People were supported to stay safe and to manage risk effectively. There were sufficient, safely recruited staff to meet people’s needs. There were robust processes in place to ensure people took their medicines as prescribed.

Staff had the necessary skills to meet a range of complex needs. They worked well with health and social care professionals to promote people’s wellbeing. People choose what they ate and drank in line with their preferences.

The Care Quality Commission is required by law to monitor how a provider applies the Mental Capacity Act 2005 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. The registered manager understood their responsibilities in this area. Staff enabled people to be involved in the decisions they made about their life and support.

Staff spoke to people gently and treated them with respect. People were supported to communicate their wishes and preferences and to remain as independent as possible.

Detailed assessments of need were carried out and personalised care plans were in place which provided comprehensive guidance on peoples’ needs. People were supported to develop person-centred routines in line with their preferences. There were varying opportunities to provide feedback about the service and to raise concerns and complaints.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

The inspection took place on 28 July 2015 and was unannounced.

Faith Global Links provides accommodation and personal care for up to five people who have mental health needs. At the time of our inspection five people were using the service.

The service had a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) 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 associate Regulations about how the service is run.

The service was meeting the requirements of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLs). Appropriate mental capacity assessments and best interest decisions had been undertaken by relevant professionals. This ensured that the decision was taken in accordance with the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005, DoLs and associated Codes of Practice.

There were enough staff who had been recruited safely and who had the skills and knowledge to provide care and support in ways that people preferred. People were safe because staff understood their responsibilities in managing risk and identifying abuse. People received safe care that met their assessed needs

People’s health needs were managed with input from relevant health care professionals, and there were systems in place to manage medicines so that people were supported to take their prescribed medicines safely.

People were treated with kindness and respect by staff who knew them well and were supported to maintain relationships with family and friends. Staff supported people to have sufficient food and drink.

The provider had systems in place to check the quality of the service and take the views and concerns of people and their relatives into account to make improvements to the service.

Most people who used the service were able to tell us verbally about their experiences. People told us that they were happy living at Faith Global Links Ventures and the staff were helpful and nice. We observed positive interactions between people who used the service and the staff. One person said: “The staff are very nice, very helpful and there when I need them.”

Systems were in place for people to be involved in decisions about their life and consent to their care, treatment and support. Medication was stored securely and administered safely for the protection of people who used the service. Staffing levels were maintained to ensure that sufficient staff were employed to care for people adequately. Any complaints or comments about the service were dealt with appropriately.

Feedback from the people who lived at Faith Global Links Ventures was very positive and they liked living there. Staff treated people with respect and dignity, knew their needs very well and encouraged and reassured them. One person said “I get looked after very well here, I have no grumbles”.

People's care and support and personal information about their health, mental health and social care needs was recorded, reviewed and maintained. It was written in a person centred way which ensured that staff provided an individualised service. One person said "I was very angry when I came here but they have helped me. I like this little place".