This was an unannounced inspection and took place on 1 November 2016.

Flint Cottage is registered to accommodate a maximum of four people with learning disabilities. The home is situated in a rural location close to South Nutfield in Surrey. At the time of inspection the home was fully occupied.

At the time of our inspection 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

In October 2013, our inspection found that the service met the regulations we inspected against. At this inspection the home met the regulations.

Flint Cottage had a warm, welcoming atmosphere with people freely coming and going as they pleased. People’s body language showed that they enjoyed the way that staff provided care and support for them and living at the home. People engaged in a variety of activities. They chose their activities themselves, when they wanted to do them and with whom. They were safe in the home and the local community. There was positive interaction between people using the service and also with staff.

People were provided with information about any activities taking place so they could decide if they wanted to join in. Staff provided care and support in a friendly, professional and supportive way that was focussed on people as individuals. Staff told us they knew people who use the service and their likes and dislikes well. Staff were well trained, had appropriate skills and were accessible to people. They said they enjoyed working at the home and had received good training and support from the manager.

The home records were accessible, kept up to date and covered all relevant aspects of the care and support that people received. This included the choices people made, activities they attended and the way their safety was protected. People’s care plans were completed and the information contained was regularly reviewed. This enabled staff to perform their duties competently and efficiently. People were encouraged and supported by staff to address their health needs and had access to GP’s and other community based health professionals. People were supported to be healthy by choosing nutritious, balanced meals that promoted a healthy diet whilst taking into account their likes, dislikes and preferences. This meant people were protected from nutrition and hydration associated risks. We saw that people enjoyed the meals provided and that they were of good quality with plenty of choice.

Relatives told us the manager and staff were approachable, responsive and listened to them. The quality of the service provided was consistently monitored and assessed.

Because of the complex needs of the people we met on the inspection, they were unable to speak to us directly about their experiences of living at Flint Cottage. To address this, we used a variety of other methods to assess the care and support provided. However, we did speak with a relative who said, "The home is wonderful and the care is excellent. My relative is thriving". We observed that the home provided a wide range of social events and activities.

We saw that people's consent was sought, wherever possible, before care and support was provided. We observed that the care given was safe and appropriate and based on effective care planning and risk assessments. This meant that people's individual needs were met and their preferences were taken into account.

People were protected from the risks associated with poor medication management. We saw that medicines were properly handled and administered in line with the provider's policy. We noted that there were sufficient numbers of experienced staff to provide good care. We also found that systems were in place for people and relatives to make a complaint about the service if necessary.

On our arrival there was only one person who used the service and a carer in the home. The other people were Christmas shopping and arrived during our visit for their lunch.

The people who live in Flint Cottage had little or no verbal communication skills. We relied on the staff, gestures, and some sings to communicate to people.

They told us that they liked living in the home.

We saw that people chose where to sit to eat their lunch. We saw there was good interaction between staff and people who used the service and staff had a very good understanding of people's needs.

The people who lived in the home had complex and challenging needs. They felt unsure of our presence and worried that our being there would prevent them from attending a pre arranged Church Carol Service that afternoon.

We saw that the service maintained good care plans and people profiles.

We also saw that the staff had the skills, training and confidence that met individual assessed needs.