The service provides care and support to people with physical disabilities in their own flats within a communal building. At the time of our inspection11 people were receiving a service.

At the last inspection of 11 May 2015, the service was rated Good. At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

People continued to be safe at the service because staff had received training and were aware of procedures to safeguard people from abuse and manage risks to their health. Each person had a support plan and staff were aware of people’s individual needs and the times to deliver support. There were enough suitably knowledgeable staff that had been recruited safely. People received their medicines as prescribed.

Staff received training and supervision to enable to them to provide the support to people with regard to their assessed needs. People gave consent to the support they received. People were given support to manage their nutrition and accessed healthcare services when required.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible. The policies and systems in the service support this practice.

Staff were empathic and treated people with understanding. People’s privacy and dignity were respected. Staff encouraged people to maintain and develop their independent living skills.

People continued to receive support that met their individual needs and preferences. Each person had an assessment of their needs and support plan which was updated regularly as required. Staff encouraged people to pursue their hobbies and interests. People knew how to raise a complaint and were confident any concerns raised would be addressed and resolved.

An open and positive culture was maintained by the service. The registered manager led and supported the staff team to focus upon person-centred support. Quality checks and audits remained in place so that issues were identified and resolutions for improvements put in place.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

The inspection took place on 11 May 2015 and was announced. The service received 24 hours’ notice of our intention to inspect the service. This is in line with our current methodology for inspecting domiciliary care agencies.

The service provides care and support to people with physical disabilities who share flats within a communal building. At the time of our inspection11 people were receiving a service. One of these people was primarily supported by another agency and staff from this service only gave occasional assistance for moving and handling tasks.

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.

Staff were trained in safeguarding people from abuse and systems were in place to protect people from financial abuse. Staff understood their responsibilities to report any safeguarding concerns they may have.

Risks to people and staff were assessed and action taken to minimise these risks. People were encouraged to remain as independent as possible and any risks related to this were assessed.

Staffing levels meant that people’s needs were met appropriately. Recruitment procedures ensured that staff were suitable for this type of work and checks were carried out before people started work to make sure they were safe to work in this setting.

Medicines were administered safely and records related to medicines were accurately completed.

Training was provided for staff to help them carry out their roles and increase their knowledge of the healthcare conditions of the people they were supporting and caring for.

People gave their consent before care and treatment was provided. Some staff had received training in the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2015. The MCA ensures that, where people lack capacity to make decisions for themselves, decisions are made in their best interests according to a structured process. People’s capacity to give consent had been assessed and decisions had been taken in line with legal requirements.

People were supported with their eating and drinking needs and staff helped people to maintain good health by supporting them with their day to day healthcare needs.

Staff were very caring and treated people respectfully making sure their dignity was maintained. Staff were positive about the job they did and enjoyed the relationships they had built with the people they were supporting and caring for. All the staff we spoke with told us they would be happy for a relative of theirs to be supported by the service.

People were involved in planning and reviewing their care and were encouraged to provide feedback on the service. People were able to negotiate how they wanted their care hours and the service was flexible enough to accommodate these requests.

No formal complaints had been made but informal issues were dealt with appropriately and to people’s satisfaction.

Staff understood their roles and were well supported by the management of the service. The service had an open culture and people felt comfortable giving feedback and helping to direct the way the service was run.

Quality assurance systems were in place and audits were carried out regularly to monitor the delivery of the service.