The inspection took place on 16 February 2016 and was unannounced. Gloucester House offers accommodation for up to eight people with learning disabilities or autistic spectrum disorders, mental health, sensory impairment and physical health care needs. There were five people living at the home at the time of our inspection. People had their own rooms and bathrooms. People had the use of a number of comfortable communal areas, including a kitchen and dining area, a lounge, a sensory and room and garden areas.

We had the opportunity to talk with three people who lived at the home on the day of the inspection. We have therefore not used quotes within this report and the examples we have given are brief because we respect people’s right to confidentiality.

A registered manager was in post at the time of our inspection. 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.

The registered manager and senior staff team supported care staff to provide safe and compassionate care. Risks to people’s safety were recognised and staff took action so people were able to do things they enjoyed in a safe way. There were enough staff available to support people in the ways they wanted. Staff knew what actions to take, if they had any concerns for people’s safety or well-being and were able to obtain advice from the manager, provider or external organisations if required. People were supported to take their medicines so they would remain well.

Staff had the skills required to support people so they would enjoy a good quality of life. People’s right to make decisions and their freedom was protected and staff worked with other organisations to make this happen. Staff supported people to enjoy a range of food and drinks so they would remain well. Some people enjoyed preparing their own meals. Access to health services was arranged so people would benefit from specialist advice to remain physically and mentally well.

People enjoyed being with the staff who cared for them and were given encouragement and reassurance by staff when people when they wanted this. We saw people got on well with the registered manager and caring relationships had been built with the staff. Staff knew how to support people so they were able to make choices about what daily care they wanted. People’s need for independence was taken into account by staff.

People benefited from living in a home where staff understood their individual preferences, diversities and unique needs. The whole staff team were committed to making sure people received the right care for them as individuals. Staff recognised when people’s needs changed and took action so people continued to enjoy life and receive care in the best way for them. People wishes were embedded into the way their care was planned and reviewed and people felt listened to. People and relatives knew how to raise any complaints they had and were confident staff would take action if this happened.

There was clear and open communication between the registered manager and staff, so staff knew what was expected of them. Checks were undertaken on the quality of the care by the registered manager and provider and actions were taken where developments had been highlighted. The registered manager and provider made sure there was a focus on continuous development of the home.

We spoke with two people that lived there. We also spoke with three staff, the registered manager, two relatives of people who lived there and the provider. We looked at the care records of three people who lived there. We also observed how staff cared for people.

People who lived at the home were supported to make choices around the care they received. A relative told us: “They (staff) always try so hard to make sure the people who live there have choice”.

We saw that staff helped and supported people. We saw that people received care that met their individual needs.

We found that medicines had been appropriately stored and administered.

Staff told us they had access to further training and felt supported by their peers and the registered manager. One staff member said they had: “Good support and training”. Another said: “You never feel that you are not supported fully by everyone”. This meant that staff had the support and knowledge to meet the care and welfare needs of the people living there.

We inspected Gloucester House and used a number of different methods to help us understand the experiences of people who lived there. We spent some time with three people who lived at the home; we spoke with members of staff on duty and on the telephone, and spent some time with the acting manager, the area manager and one of the company directors.

We saw that staff gave people choices and supported people to make their own decisions within the home environment. We saw that people were relaxed and at ease with staff. Staff showed an individual knowledge of people, their abilities and their personal backgrounds. Staff told us they supported people “to do things for themselves” and gave help when this was needed. We found that people were treated with respect and their dignity and choices had been considered by staff.

People told us that staff “were nice here” and “they help me when I need it and “all the staff are very caring and they work hard”. They told us that there were things to do and one person we spoke with knew about the record of their care and told us they had been involved in completing it.