Fern Croft is a residential care home for seven people with a learning disability. At the time of our inspection visit there were five people using the service. At the last inspection on 29 & 30 January 2015, the service was rated Good. At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

We found improvements to how people’s medicines were stored and improvements to the environment of the laundry.

Staff and management understood how to protect people from harm and abuse. Risks to people's safety were identified, assessed and appropriate action taken. People were supported by sufficient staff who had been recruited using thorough checks. People’s medicines were safely managed.

People were supported by staff who had training and support to maintain their skills and knowledge to meet their needs. People’s rights were protected by the correct use of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005. People’s health and well-being was actively promoted through the use of appropriate resources obtained by establishing links with national support organisations.

People received support from caring staff who respected their privacy, dignity and the importance of independence. There was regular consultation about how the service was provided to capture people’s views.

People received personalised support that enabled them to pursue their interests at the home and in the community. There were arrangements in place for people to raise concerns about the service.

The registered manager maintained an accessible presence at Fern Croft. People using the service and staff were kept informed about developments in the service and staff were clear about their roles. Quality assurance checks on the service including the views of people using the service and stakeholders had been completed as a way of ensuring the quality of the service provided.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

We observed the six people being supported throughout the day and found that people were encouraged to make choices and decisions concerning activities and food and drink in line with their care plans. We found that a range of activities were offered to people. One person told us "there are lots of activities here".

People's needs were assessed and plans drawn up to meet their needs. We found that the provider had developed person centred plans, care plans and health action plans with the involvement of people. One staff member told us "we're here to look after people's needs, it's a very person centred home".

We found that all staff had been trained in safeguarding and the staff we spoke were able to tell us what they would do if abuse was suspected, witnessed or alleged. We found the cleanliness, hygiene and infection control measures to be satisfactory.

The provider ensured there was sufficient staffing to meet people's needs and made additional staff available for activities when needed. We found that staff were appropriately skilled and experienced and were supervised. One person told us the staff are lovely, this is the best place ever". Another person explained to us how they had been involved in recruiting the last member of staff to join the team.

We found the provider had systems in place to seek the views of people using the service and their family members. The provider learnt from investigations carried out and made changes as a result.

We spoke to two of the six people who were using the service. One person told us “I like it here”. They told us about the weekly meetings held in the home and the things they talked about. They also told us about the health care appointments they attended and one person told us "they look after you very well". Both of the people we spoke to said they felt safe living in the home. We heard positive comments about the staff and people were aware of whom to approach if they were not happy with anything.

Due to the disabilities of some people in the home we were unable to speak to them all about their experience of living in the home. We spoke with two people in the home and they made the following comments; “It’s very nice here”, “The staff help me do things”, “I get to choose what I would like to eat”, “Staff are nice”, “The food is good and I regularly get my favourite meal”, “I get to go out a lot”.

Staff comments about the home included; “It’s a fantastic place to work”, “It’s a really good team”, “People living in the home have a big input in what they do”, “the manager is brilliant”, “the home is really well organised”, “The training we get is great”.

The inspection took place on the 29 and 30 January 2015 and was unannounced.

Fern Croft is a home for up to seven adults. People living at the home have a range of needs including learning disabilities. At the time of our inspection there were six people living at the home.

The home had a registered manager. 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.

Medicines were generally well managed although high storage temperatures during the summer meant that medicines were not always stored correctly. Some work was needed to maintain the laundry walls so that a hygienic environment could be maintained.

People were protected from abuse by staff who understood safeguarding procedures. Robust recruitment procedures were applied ensuring that people were protected from the employment of unsuitable staff. There were enough staff with the right skills and knowledge to keep people safe and meet their needs.

People were supported by staff who received appropriate training and had the right knowledge and skills to carry out their role. People’s rights were protected by the correct use of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005. People were supported to eat and drink a balanced diet that respected their choices. People’s health and well-being was actively promoted through the use of appropriate resources obtained through establishing links with national support organisations.

People received support from caring staff who respected their privacy, dignity and the importance of independence. There was regular consultation about how the service was provided to capture people’s views. People received personalised support that enabled them to pursue their interests at the home and in the community. There were arrangements in place for people to raise concerns about the service.

The registered manager maintained an accessible presence at Fern Croft. People using the service and staff were kept informed about developments in the service and staff were clear about their roles. Quality assurance checks on the service including the views of people using the service and stakeholders had been completed as a way of ensuring the quality of the service provided.