This inspection took place on 21 April 2017 and was unannounced. This was the first inspection since this location registered with us on 31 October 2016. The service was previously registered with us under a different provider and the registered manager and many of the staff transferred to the new provider.

Larkrise is a care home in a large detached house which provides accommodation for up to seven people with autism, some of whom had additional learning disabilities. People also had particular needs in relation to communication. At the time of our inspection there were seven people living at the service. Each person had their own room with en-suite facilities. There was a large communal lounge, sensory room, kitchen, dining room and laundry room. At the rear of the home there was a large well maintained garden.

There was a registered manager in post. 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.

People experienced positive outcomes in terms of managing behaviour which challenged others. Staff followed the techniques of a programme accredited by the British Institute of Learning Disabilities (BILD) to assist people to maintain self-control, and to support them with behaviour that challenged in a positive way. Staff worked closely with the local authority challenging behaviour team and mental health professionals to assess and monitor people’s behaviour which challenged to check people received the support they needed.

Staff were supported to understand people’s needs, such as needs relating to their autism, through a programme of training, supervision and annual appraisal. The registered manager and staff understood the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards. People were supported in line with these.

People were offered a choice of food and drink. Staff were knowledgeable in supporting people with complex needs relating to eating and drinking. Staff supported people to access the healthcare services they needed to maintain their health and referred people to specialist support when necessary.

The provider supported people to establish routines and a weekly activity programme, as well as encouraging them to use their literacy skills which they had not done for some time, to improve their quality of life. All people had individual activity programmes in place based on their interests.

People’s care plans were regularly updated so contained reliable information for staff to follow in supporting them. People and their relatives were involved in forming and reviewing their care plans.

People were supported by staff who knew them well, including the best ways to support them in line with their complex needs. Staff understood the best ways to communicate with people and used a range of techniques including visual systems to help people communicate their needs. Staff treated people with dignity and respect and supported people to be as independent as they wanted to be.

People were supported by staff to maintain relationships with people who were important to them, encouraging visits and helping people to phone and video call their relatives regularly. Relatives were encouraged to join in activities together with people using the service. They took part in a Saturday walk each month with people and staff at the service.

Staff managed people’s medicines safely, storing, administering and recording medicines in line with best practice. Staff understood how to respond if they suspected people were being abused to keep them safe and had received training in safeguarding adults at risk. The registered manager managed risks to people and the premises well, ensuring people had accurate risk assessments in place with ris