Harrisons Yard is registered to provide accommodation for up to three people who personal care. The service provides care and support for people with a learning disability. Two people were living at the service on the day of our inspection.

We inspected this service on 21 October 2016. The inspection was unannounced.

Although there was a manager in post, they had not yet made an application to the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to become the registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the 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 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

Systems were in place to manage risks to people using the service. This included environmental risks, safeguarding matters, behaviours that were challenging to others and supporting people to manage their own medicines. These safeguards protected people from harm, or risk of harm occurring.

Detailed risk assessments were in place which gave staff clear direction as to what action to take to minimise risk. Risks were assessed in a consistent and positive way and protected people’s dignity, rights and independence. This showed that the provider had a positive attitude towards managing risk and keeping people safe.

Staff had a good understanding of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). These safeguards protect the rights of adults who use the service by ensuring that if there are restrictions on their freedom and liberty these are assessed by professionals who consider whether the restriction is appropriate and needed. The manager had made an appropriate DoLS application to the local authority to ensure that restrictions on a person’s ability to leave the service unaccompanied were lawful.

There was a sufficient number of staff on duty to meet people’s needs and to keep them safe. The provider’s recruitment and selection process ensured staff recruited had the right skills and experience. Regular police checks were carried out to ensure staff were suitable to work with people who used the service.

New staff received a thorough induction when they started work which gave them the skills, knowledge and confidence to carry out their role. All staff received training that gave them the skills to meet people’s specific needs.

Staff knew the needs of the people they supported well. People were involved in determining the level of support they needed and their independence was promoted. Staff offered people choices, for example, how they spent their day and what they wanted to eat. These choices were respected. People were supported to carry on with their usual routines, going to work, shopping and accessing places of interest in the community.

People were provided with sufficient food and drink of their choice to stay healthy and were encouraged to maintain a balanced diet. People were supported to manage their own health and to access health care professionals, when they needed them.

There was a strong emphasis on promoting good practice in the service. Staff were clear about the vision and values of the service in relation to valuing people, caring, working together and treating people with respect. We observed staff putting these values into practice during our inspection.

The provider had a range of systems in place to assess, monitor and further develop the quality of the service. This included quality monitoring visits of the service and monitoring of incidents, accidents, safeguarding concerns and complaints.

During our inspection we spoke with the three people who used the service about their care and treatment. Two people spoke only briefly but a third spoke to us at length. They told us that they were able to choose what they wanted to do and that the staff team arranged this for them. They told us that they felt safe and were well looked after. They said, "It's great here and everyone looks after me.” They told us about some of things they enjoyed doing which included gardening, going out shopping, going to football matches and cooking.

We looked at a range of records in the service which were all readily available, comprehensive and up to date. This showed that the service was well led.

People told us that they felt safe and procedures were in place to ensure that any potential abuse that was reported was immediately dealt with. We also noted that the service knew how and where to seek advice when necessary.

During the inspection we spoke with two of the three people who used the service. They told us that it was a good place to live. One person we spoke with told us that, "The staff are all good, they help me a lot." They also told us that the three people who used the service helped to choose what to eat. We found that staff understood the needs of the people they were supporting.

Comprehensive care plans and risk assessments were in place. They showed how individual needs could be safely met.

People enjoyed a range of activities including cooking, gardening, trips out and reading. One person worked at a residential home for older people twice a week. They told us, "I enjoy going there, I help to make the tea."

Procedures were in place to protect people from abuse and the two people we spoke with told us they felt safe.

Throughout this visit we talked to all three people who live in this home. All the comments were positive about the care, support, safety and environment they live in.

Each person told us they would not want to live anywhere else. “This is my home” we were told.

The observations, interactions and comments heard throughout the visit told us that these people were given time, listened to, had choices and were treated as individuals.